Why you need antivirus software

The original function of antivirus software was merely to scan files on a computer for viruses. Today, however, these are very sophisticated systems that can carry out many tasks simultaneously. Their basic components are as follows:

Scanners

As the name suggests, they will scan your computer for malicious software (malware).

Monitors

By default, monitors run in the background as long as you use your computer. They check that applications’ performance and their fixed values (creation date, size) don’t deviate from the norm. If they detect any irregularities, they inform the user.

Web monitoring

Virtually all modern antivirus software also offers plug-ins for browsers that monitor whether the websites entered are phishing sites or whether they contain a malicious script that could attack the user’s computer or take over their data. You can read more about phishing in this article. Some packages also offer Dark Web monitoring, i.e. they check whether your data is being sold on the Darknet*.

Quarantine

As in real life, when it comes to software, files suspected of being infected by a virus are sent to quarantine. If the behaviour of files (especially executables, with the .exe extension) deviates from the norm, they are isolated from the rest of the files and then repaired, or deleted if repair is impossible.

Self-verification software

It calculates checksums for files. If the file being checked previously existed and the checksums for the old and new versions differ, the auto-verification software will inform you that changes have been made to the file.

Vaccines

The principle is very similar to vaccines known from real life. The difference is that physical ones target specific viruses, while "cyber-vaccines" work against the thousands of viruses they have in their database.

WHICH ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE TO CHOOSE?

Windows users are in a good position as they get Windows Defender, which from Windows 7 upwards provides considerable protection and includes many useful security features, such as firewall, network scanning, and custom security rules for applications. If you use your computer only for private purposes and are mindful of the applications you install, this is a tool that will mitigate most threats. For macOS 10.8 and above, users can utilise GateKeeper to prevent the installation of non-Apple-approved software, thus eliminating the risk of downloading malicious code.

Additional antivirus software

If you use your computer for entertainment as well as work, shopping or official business, it’s worth considering additional protection. Most antivirus programs available on the market offer a comparable set of features and level of protection, especially as far as the paid versions go. Free versions often provide only a fraction of the software's capabilities – e.g., only a file scanner is provided, with no real-time protection, or protection is limited to only one device. Moreover, it’s important to remember that in many cases, providers of free software make their living from advertising, which involves you consenting to your data being shared for profiling purposes. Therefore, it’s worth thinking about buying such an antivirus licence to have all devices in your local network protected and enjoy access to all its functionalities.

* The darknet is a part of the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configuration or authorisation, and which often uses a unique, customised communication protocol.