Anti-virus Software
What is antivirus software?
Antivirus software is an essential part of any PC system, protecting your computer from any malicious software that can seriously compromise the security and performance of your PC or home/ office network.
Modern antivirus software is designed to prevent a whole range of security threats and potentially malicious programs from infecting your PC, including worms, phishing attacks, rootkits, trojan horses and other malware.
How does antivirus software work?
Antivirus software can work both proactively and reactively, with most modern forms using both methods to protect a user’s PC.
Proactive protection methods prevent viruses and threats from establishing and activating themselves on your computer system or network. These threats could originate from an online source or from a computer programme distributed by some form of physical media, such as a CD-ROM.
In the case of reactive measures, antivirus software packages scan a user’s PC, comparing potentially malicious files with a constantly updated database of known threats and viruses to ensure that any potential forms of malware that already exist are contained and, where appropriate, destroyed.
How do I ensure that I am covered against any new viruses or threats?
Of course, computer viruses and security threats continue to evolve and new threats emerge on an almost daily basis.
To combat this, most antivirus software packages are constantly updated to ensure that they are using the very latest data signatures when assessing the threats posed by any particular file or program.
Your PC system and home/office network could be at risk if you do not update your antivirus software on a regular basis.
Why are there different versions of antivirus software?
Antivirus software often comes in two forms. The most basic form of antivirus will offer a basic level of security, providing protection against existing and future viruses that may harm your computer system.
However, most antivirus software is also available as part of a complete security package to ensure optimum protection against a wide range of security threats.
Aside from providing comprehensive virus protection, security packages also protect you from other malicious security threats, including adware, spyware and phishing scams as well as providing firewall protection and anti-spam filters.
