Performing the job to keep your PC clean and free from malware is not a piece of cake. Antivirus programs are highly efficient and specifically designed to keep a PC protected each second of it being in use. The job is, prima facie, not an easy one and requires a lot of efficiency on part of the software that has the task of keeping the system clean. Companies that develop these softwares or programs for keeping our devices secure have to be very vigilant. They have to make sure that the software will work in a specified sequence with all its parts interconnected to ensure quick detection as well as the elimination of any malware.
Despite the types of antivirus software programs available everywhere, the basic working principle for an antivirus program is only one – detection of a virus and keeping it from entering the PCs or damaging data. However, there are various ways in which the microorganisms are detected and acted against them.
Signature-Based Detection:
Every computer virus is made up of a specific and logical sequence of codes or what is called in the computer world as bits. The antivirus software program makers develop an antivirus by storing these bits or virus signatures in the program of the antivirus. This is done to keep track of what footprints to get activated against when they try to enter the system. These virus signatures stay unchanged in every order they attack. This storage of virus bits allows the antivirus to quickly recognize and detect the virus as it enters the system. Whenever you run a file or perform an action on your PC, the antivirus compares the bits in the background to ensure that the data is harmful. When the computer has a virus, the antivirus signals the user or take action and destroy the virus. The regular updates sent by the antivirus makers are to ensure that new virus bits are being stored in the software to ensure maximum protection. Signature-based detection is the most common detection system in antivirus software programming.
Behavior-Based Detection:
This is the working in which the antivirus is programmed in such a way that it focuses on the practice of malware and viruses to detect them. The characteristics of systems and infections, while they are destroying a system and spreading everywhere in the PC, are noted by the antivirus software, and then it works to deal with the malware.
Heuristic Detection:
This is another common way of antivirus working in which the malware with new signatures is detected by running the suspected programs under some suspicious codes to scan them for possible viruses if any.
Other than these three standard working techniques, the new antivirus programs are also employing sandboxing and data mining techniques to detect and kill malware.
