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Infected viruses can cause major damage to your computer systems and networks. They can take personal information, corrupt files, or even cause data loss. This can lead you to identity theft, financial fraud and scams using phishing.
How does antivirus software identify potential viruses? Antivirus software works by scanning the files and code in the incoming stream and comparing them to an existing database of malware. These databases are continuously updated making it possible for antivirus programs to catch new threats swiftly.
A virus is usually detected by an antivirus program that looks at the digital fingerprint or signature. Each virus has a unique fingerprint that differentiates it from other files and applications. The signature is created by comparing particular bits of the virus’s code against the database of known viruses, and then flagging it if there is a match. Antivirus scanners can also employ heuristic analysis to determine the behavior or suspicious characteristics of an individual file. It will examine patterns or trends of a particular file that may indicate it’s an infection, for instance deletion of large amounts of information, analyzing keys with constrained restrictions or remotely connecting to equipment.
Some antivirus applications use Sandboxing, in addition to heuristic or signature-based detection. Sandboxing will let a virus run in a virtual space and observe how it acts so that the scanner can verify if it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. If the virus is detected and quarantined, it will be removed immediately and removed from the system.
