Antivirus is a staple security solution for businesses and everyday PC users, but have you ever considered how it works? By thinking through some of the details, you might gain a greater understanding of how antivirus works, what it does, and why you need to keep it updated. Today, we’re going to discuss just that, starting from square one.
First, the Threats
Antivirus is designed to detect threats on your company’s network, but how exactly does it do that?
It’s all based on threat definitions, an idea that is known as signature-based detection. Antivirus software typically has a long running list of viruses and other types of threats called a signature database against which your computer cross-checks. When you download a file or program, the antivirus software will see if it can find a match, and if it does, it blocks the file from being opened.
Since threats are constantly evolving, you need to ensure you’re using up-to-date threat definitions, otherwise your antivirus won’t be able to identify threats it doesn’t know to search for.
Next, the Search for Suspicious Behavior
Since not all threats are found in the aforementioned signature database, the antivirus software has to use different metrics to discover potential threats on your network.
Antivirus software can detect suspicious behavior to see if an application or program is acting the way it should. It might catch a program changing settings behind the scenes, for example. Once the antivirus software has identified potential suspicious behavior, it can take steps to block it.
You can think of it like a security system that catches criminal activity in the act, then uses the evidence to issue a “sentence.”
Finally, Quarantining and Removal
Cyberthreats are dangerous, and they need to be addressed as such.
Antivirus tools will lock threats into a quarantine where they can be safely handled by your security team. While in quarantine, it cannot cause you any more harm. From here, a security professional like our team at 1080 Titan Technologies can remove the threat from your infrastructure without any risk of further damage.
Of course, it’s not always a clean removal in this way, and some threats are more resilient and sticky than others, but rest assured that an antivirus is one of the best ways to keep your business safe while conducting business online.
Want Real-Time Protection Today?
We’re sure you’re already using an antivirus tool, but is it the right one for your business? We can equip your business with an enterprise-grade antivirus solution that will keep it safe for the long haul. Learn more by calling 1080 Titan Technologies at (404) 800-7946 today.
