An antivirus is a type of software created with the sole purpose of protecting the computer against most viruses, Trojans or unwanted invaders that put at risk the integrity of the data that a computer always houses, either by copying it without the will of the owner, such as by the infection that destroys or adulterates them. For example: AVG Antivirus, McAfee, Avast! Antivirus.
Almost simultaneously with the development of computers there was the development of malware , stored programs that reproduce themselves as many times as possible and increase their population exponentially.
In the eighties, the spread of PCs became massive and then the applications to detect and prevent these attacks (and especially their reproduction and massification) were perfected, in a race against viruses that also did it.
Nowadays, however, the use of computers is already widespread enough that the effectiveness must be total: computers are used for transactions of large amounts of money, as well as to exchange really important information.
However, no virus prevention method is 100% secure, as malware developments find vulnerabilities in these Software and exploit them for their destruction purpose.
- It can help you: Application software
Preventive function
Having a good antivirus seems essential in the daily use of computers, and many people underestimate its importance and later find themselves with the loss of a large part of its contents: antivirus have specific vaccines for tens of thousands of known virtual pests, and they can do a comprehensive review of the system if they are installed at a certain time.
However, their working method is much more effective if they are installed together with the computer, that is, if their action is always preventive. In the same way, it must be updated as many times as possible, to the extent that its power of action may become obsolete for some new threat.
Servers and secure networks
The techniques regarding computer security were advancing very strongly over the development of computers, which is mainly explained by the fact that almost everything nowadays passes through the network: large companies might not work if a system falls or if it is adulterated, as well as some fundamental state secrets for harmonious relations between countries are digitized.
Currently, a large part of the information is not found on computers but is accessed through them (or other equipment) but in reality it is on the Internet, in ‘ the cloud’ . The work of the security teams is even stronger, particularly in those of the network servers.
Integral protection
Having an active Antivirus license is just one part of a protection system that must be comprehensive, which must include minimizing user permissions, connecting only to known and secure Internet networks, transforming the largest number of files possible in the ‘read only’ type avoiding possible transformations, and above all the permanent backup of the data to physically place them in one place and stop having them only on the computer, much less on the network.
Antivirus Examples
| AVG Antivirus | Qihoo 360 Technology | MSNCleaner |
| ESET NOD32 | McAfee | ClamAV |
| Microsoft Security Essentials | Panda Internet Security | Bitdefender |
| Avast! Antivirus | Trend Micro | Webroot |
| Total Virus | Windows Defender | TrusPort |
| Norton Internet Security | Winpooch | PC Tool Internet Security |
| Avira | Kaspersky Internet Security |
