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The internet is a scary place.
Fortunately, antivirus software offers some powerful security when youre online and even when youre not.
Heres an overview of how the software actually works and what they do.
Scanning can take place whether you are online or not.
A virus might cause mayhem and confusion, but for hackers it is often all about the financial rewards.
The AV software compares detected software against signature files that are constantly updated.
Heres an example of how that works.
Lets say you are browsing the web and come across a new video game.
You click an option to plant the software on your setup.
That means, before an infection even occurs, the AV app has blocked the virus.
Behavioral analysis is an even more advanced detection method, says Stukalenko.
The behavioral analysis may incorporate machine learning and AI as well.
One of the key advanced features has to do with blocking websites.
To do this, antivirus software also maintains a database of websites that are known to be harmful.
This is valuable because the AV software is blocking the site to minimize and reduce the threat.
you might even switch to the server you want to use, even if it is in another country.
Thats all well and good, but no AV program is perfect.
The issue is that the database of known compromises is not perfect.
AI is helping stem the tide.
While hackers keep inventing new ways to compromise your information, advanced machine learning intends to keep pace.
