A computer that does not have anti-virus protection is at risk of being infected with malware. The peculiarities of modern viruses are such that the user may not immediately notice that his computer is infected. Quite often, we think about installing protection only when we have undergone a virus attack, which completely disabled the equipment. In order to correctly choose an anti-virus program from the many that the market offers, you need to understand the principles of their work.
Not only useful software has changed in recent years, but also the types of viruses. Previously, the purpose of malware was only to destroy and damage data, erase information, harm the operating system. The cybercriminals who developed the viruses were guided in their actions primarily by motives that can be called hooligan. But gradually the situation changed.
With the development of technology and the emergence of new methods of payment for goods and services, viral programs are designed to take over money from unsuspecting users. This can include blocking the computer with the subsequent request to send a short message to the specified phone number, as well as stealing passwords from payment systems, including bank card details. Another area developed by the creators of malicious software is blocking anti-virus protection and disabling it. These features place increased demands on antivirus developers.
A modern high-quality antivirus program provides the user with a whole range of measures aimed at preventing viruses from infecting a computer. The list of operations of a good antivirus includes not only an automatic check of the file system for malware, but also a search for vulnerabilities that attackers can use if they wish.
The newly installed antivirus program, either independently or in the manual task setting mode, checks the system and eliminates the consequences of a possible infection of the computer, simultaneously correcting system failures. It also configures browser settings from a security point of view. At the request of the user, the antivirus can clean up traces of computer activity on the network, delete temporary files and the history of web pages.
One of the factors that determine the effectiveness of anti-virus software is the regular updating of the anti-virus databases. This operation allows you to take timely measures in the event of the spread of new malicious objects on the network, dozens of them emerging every day. It is for this reason that it is recommended to use only proven and well-proven licensed anti-virus protection systems.
