What is an anti-virus? ~ CHIMALOGY

Content page > What is an anti-virus?

[Last updated on 08/10/2009, Thu]

What is an anti-virus?

An anti-virus software helps detect and remove computer viruses and malware from computers. It acts like the guard that walks around your building, making sure that there are no wanted criminals inside your building.

Why do I need an anti-virus?

MALWARE can perform harmful activities such as copying and deleting your files without your permission.

MALWARE can delete the vital files and causes that the system to be unstable or even stop working.

MALWARE slows down your computer as it uses computer resources.

Why do I need to keep my anti-virus software updated?

The police have a list of wanted criminals which they use to identify and capture criminals. Similarly, an anti-virus software keeps a list of black-listed programmes called signatures.

As new viruses are released onto the Internet, the programmes on the blacklist must also be constantly updated. Without an updated blacklist of programmes, new viruses that are not on the blacklist will not be detected by the anti-virus software.

These new viruses can then infect your computer and cause damage to the information stored in your computer. The police cannot identify and apprehend a criminal if they do not know who the wanted criminal is.

Must I still scan my computer since my anti-virus software scans anything I download from the Internet?

Scanning your computer frequently is a definite must even if you have the signatures of the latest viruses. Your computer might have been infected with viruses before the latest signature was released. Scanning the computer frequently will catch these viruses even if they manage to get into your computer.

What should I do when a virus is found by my anti-virus software?

Typically, there are 3 ways of handling a virus that have been detected. These 3 ways are to clean or disinfect, quarantine and delete the infected file.

Deleting the file may cause certain programmes to stop working, especially if the file that you are deleting is required by the programmes to work correctly. However, if the file is a document or mp3 file, deleting the file may be a feasible option.

Cleaning or disinfecting the file is typically done by the anti-virus software. The anti-virus software will try to delete all traces of the virus in the infected file. If successful, there will be no traces of the virus in the infected file and the infected file will be as good as new. However, not all anti-virus software can delete all traces of every virus. Therefore, quarantine may be the best last option.

Quarantine essentially places the file into a protected area to prevent the file from being executed. This will protect your computer but may cause programmes to stop working properly. The files can be disinfected at a later time when your anti-virus software is updated with the latest signatures.

References:

http://www.singcert.org.sg/awareness/antivirus.htm