For an experienced user of the Windows operating system, working on a network without an anti-virus program will seem like something unthinkable. But those who are just starting to master the computer may have a completely natural question - why do we need an antivirus?
Some ten or fifteen years ago it was possible to work on the Internet without fear of anything. Computers were still practically not used to carry out payment transactions, most hackers were far from criminals and simply had fun, rejoicing in the imperfection of Windows 95.
But as time went on, the commercial segment of the Internet was actively developing. Calculations via the Internet became more and more large-scale, gradually turning into a routine. And the more money became on the Internet, the more people appeared who wanted to get their hands on it. And Trojans have become the most convenient way to take money away. Once on a computer, the Trojan horse steals confidential data and sends it to the hacker. As a result, a computer user may face a lot of troubles - he may lose money from an electronic wallet or a plastic card, he may lose access to his mailbox or other resource. Important documents and personal photos could be stolen.
Unlike Trojans, computer viruses do not steal information, but perform certain actions on the computer. For example, they can delete or encrypt all data, format disks, and much more. The most innocuous pranks are opening and closing a CD drive, disappearing the Start button or mouse cursor, displaying various kinds of inscriptions on the screen, etc.
In order to protect the computer user, anti-virus programs began to be created. Antivirus is capable of not only detecting and destroying viruses and Trojans, but also monitoring and suppressing potentially dangerous actions of any software running on your computer. Virus and Trojan horses are searched for using the so-called signatures, which are typical for a given virus code sections. The anti-virus checks files and running processes on the fly, so the virus in the anti-virus database of the application is immediately detected and does not have time to cause harm. That is why it is so important to update the anti-virus databases on a daily basis - new viruses and Trojans appear every day, so only timely updating of the anti-virus databases can minimize the threat of losing confidential data.
It should be remembered that antivirus provides the greatest protection in conjunction with a firewall (aka firewall and firewall). Many modern antivirus programs include a firewall. The firewall monitors network traffic and prevents any attempts by unauthorized users to access the Internet from a computer, or to a computer from the Internet. If the Trojan horse even got on the computer and was able to collect information, it will be much more difficult for it to transfer it, because for this it will need to use some kind of network protocol. However, it should be noted that the hacker's thought does not stand still; therefore, the former win the competition between virus creators and anti-virus software manufacturers. Proof of this is the amount of damage caused by the theft of confidential data - the account is no longer in the millions, but in the billions of dollars.
That is why you should not completely rely on the installed antivirus, no matter how well-known company it is developed. Remember that an experienced hacker will always find access to your computer. If he finds something of value with you, you will learn about it by losing your money. If it does not find it, it will simply lose interest in you and you will remain in the happy ignorance that someone could dig into your computer. Therefore, never store important information on your computer in an open form, and even more so, do not give the folders in which they are stored names that accurately characterize the stored information. It is better to pack the folder with such files into an archive and put a password on it. Never download programs from untrustworthy sites, do not click on links sent to you by strangers, do not open photos in letters from unknown people. Follow basic precautions, and it will be much more difficult to steal your confidential data.
