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How Antivirus Software Works and What It Does Eric Koshinsky http://www.antivirus-report.com

Antivirus software is essential on any computer that is connected to internet or has multiple users who use floppies or other removable media on a regular basis. While most decent antivirus software is not really all that complicated, it certainly can’t hurt to have a clearer understanding of how they work, and what they do for you behind scenes to keep your PC clean and safe.

Antivirus software works by checking files, programs, emails and disks for viruses, worms and Trojans, and more recently, spyware. What it is actually doing is comparing what it finds with a list of known viruses – this list is a virus file or virus definitions file. The software will unpack files to look at and check them, and it then repacks them if they are safe. If files contain viruses they will be destroyed or placed in a quarantine zone. Most antivirus software will also attempt to repair any files that have been damaged by a virus.

If you have antivirus software, you will (hopefully) keep it updated, or set program to auto-update. When update takes place what it’s actually doing is updating virus file so it knows what to look for when scanning. This is why update is essential – without it antivirus software won’t be sure what it’s looking at! Some of best packages also look for suspicious behavior that’s associated with viruses, so there is some additional protection against unknown viruses.

Most antivirus software works in background (i.e. you barely notice it when you’re using your computer). What it’s doing however is scanning all activity on your computer. Some software packages also automatically check downloaded files for viruses, and virus-check your incoming and outgoing E-mail. When a virus is found, it is often removed automatically, without interrupting your work.

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What Is Malware How Do I Remove It

Eric Koshinsky http://www.antivirus-report.com

Malware is a term that encompasses a whole bunch of computer problems you may encounter, including adware, scumware and spyware. It is short for ‘malicious software’, and also encompasses viruses, Trojans and worms. I’d like to look at adware, scumware and spyware - all these types of malware have similarities, but also a different function that’s worth understanding in order to protect ourselves and valuable equipment and files. There is a lot of overlap in their function however, so often names are often used interchangeably. Nothing that counts as malware should be considered harmless, and you should always make an effort to remove it from your machine.

Spyware This is hidden and devious software that sits somewhere on your computer and spies on your activities. At its most benign it watches you browsing and buying habits, and sends they information away to a third party. This is an invasion of privacy, and most people object t it. At more extreme end, spyware is capable of more sinister work. It can, for example, log any information you enter online including your credit card details and vital passwords. It doesn’t matter if you use a secure websites because spyware sits inside your own pc so it can ‘see’ and record whatever you see.

Adware Again, name gives it away - adware is designed to make you suffer all sorts of advertisements. If its primary purpose is to sell, it is very similar to spyware at it’s more extreme end. It’s pretty much indistinguishable from spyware in fact when it is put to work to gather information on your keystrokes and send them away to be used by a third party. Adware and spyware are often delivered along with other programs that actually want and hence is difficult to detect.