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Encryption; why it should matter to you

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We’re betting you love your smartphone. It’s okay if you do, because you’re in good…

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Where were you in 2012? If you were on LinkedIn back then, there’s a good…

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Remember how your crazy old Aunt Sally stashed all her money in between mattresses because…

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Wondering what your friend or co-worker is doing, staring at his or her phone, wandering…

Go, Pokemon Go! The Latest Craze that Could Fill your Device with Malware

So not only is Pokemon go the biggest craze ever (seemingly anyway), it also seems…

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We are well into the summer and for a whole lot of people that means…

Sure, it's Not Your Fault; But They Got Your CC Info Anyway

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Happy National Online Learning Day! Wait, is that even a thing? Well, it is and…

Happy Online Learning Day! (Yup, it's Really a Thing!)

Here at Reason Software, we are excited to announce the release of Unchecky v1.0. This…

Unchecky v1.0 is Here! Interview with Michael Maltsev

Attention any and all persons weighing 400 pounds or more — Donald Trump thinks you…

Is Cyber Security Worth a Spotlight at the Debates?

Gather ‘round and we’ll tell you a tale (okay, a few tales) of mystery, murder,…

Creepy Tales from the Internet of Things Crypt

As morning hits around the globe, the world is waking up to find out that…

Lessons Learned From the Election Shocker; Don't Let Hacks Take You by Surprise

For better or for worse, the biggest shopping season of the year has arrived. Now…

The Ultimate How to Not Get Hacked While Shopping Online Guide

Oh, Thanksgiving Day. You probably get a warm and fuzzy feeling even before the sugar…

The (Rotten) Gift that Keeps on Giving

As if worrying that your Android might suddenly explode wasn’t enough to worry about. Researchers…

The Gooligan Android Breach; What you Need to Know

“Um, honey, I think we have a problem. The computer is telling me that all…

Vulnerability of the year: Ransomware

2016 has come and gone and now we can look back at the year that…

A is for Apple, B is for BitCoin; The Most Noteworthy Data Breaches of 2016

It’s been a full fifteen minutes since you last checked your Facebook account (oh, the…

Fake News Flash; Think Before you Share!

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Antivirus, aka anti-virus, aka anti-malware, aka security software, has been around since 1971, and yes, that’s a lot of ‘also known as’ names for a single product. Why all the different names? Well, there is a good reason for that (mostly having to do with the origins of computer viruses and how the threat landscape has evolved), but the question you really need to be asking is “what antivirus do?”

### What does antivirus software do?

Antivirus software is a program that is designed to protect your computer and your data from viruses by searching for, detecting and removing them. Antivirus (AV) software works by scanning your computer in real-time and comparing the signatures of the files and programs on your computer to the signatures of viruses stored in a virus database. Importantly, the virus signature database is updated whenever new viruses are discovered, and this means that antivirus software must also be regularly updated to assure that it is using the latest virus database.

If a signature of one of the files or programs on the user’s computer matches one of the virus signatures in the virus database, the file or program on the users’ computer with the matching signature is flagged for removal or quarantine, and the user is notified. This is the process used by AV software to detect worms, Trojans, adware, viruses, etc., that are already known.

Most AV programs are automatically updated whenever the virus database is updated, but some require that the user manually update the AV software. Most AV software also come with several scanning options such as full-system scans, which take the longest but are more complete, and specific scans, which are quicker and where you can specify the files or directories you want to scan.

To root out and prevent cyber threats that have not yet been discovered and are therefore not yet in the virus database, modern AV software also use additional detection technologies. Two of the most widely used and most effective of these technologies are behavioral-based detection and heuristics-based detection. Behavioral and heuristics-based detection, combined with real-time scanning, provide excellent cybersecurity for detecting new and emerging threats, which is critically needed for anyone or any organization that goes online.

There are also advanced AV software suites that provide even more comprehensive protection and will safeguard you against additional cyber threats such as ransomware, phishing, malicious URLs, hackers looking to spy on your microphone and camera, and more. Given the nature of cybercrime today and the serious threat they pose to individuals and businesses, many private users and most businesses prefer the more advanced AV software packages because of the more comprehensive protection they provide.

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#Cyber Preschool - FAQ

What do antivirus do?

How Antivirus Protects Your Data

Which antivirus should I buy?

Can Antivirus Remove Virus?