Almost everyone uses you, almost everyone knows your name. But what exactly is an antivirus software (AV for short)? In general it is to be classified as an antivirus program. It is a software that tries to detect, block and in the best case delete known computer viruses, Trojan horses or computer worms. Let us look at the central features of this software and its application:
History of antivirus software
The beginnings of antivirus software programs could not yet be compared with the complex solution systems of today. Quite simply because at the beginning of the 80s there were no malicious programs. The history of the computer is, of course, inseparably linked to the history of viruses and thus also to later programs for fighting viruses. At that time, computer viruses were still limited to self-production and could not cause much damage. The evolution of threatening viruses in computer technology has to do with their increasing complexity. At the end of the 80s, knowledge of malicious programming in general increased. This made means of research into how to combat them increasingly indispensable.
The topic first became known to a wider public in 1987, when viruses were previously regarded exclusively as a danger to living beings, but this changed with Bernd Fix. According to several sources, he is the first person to have addressed the topic in a publicity-effective manner and to have recognized and removed a computer virus. As a hacker and specialist for computer technology, he still functions as a proven specialist in this field today.
The first antivirus software programs
The issue of combating viruses became increasingly important. In 1988, the Bitnet/Earn computer network took up the fight against viruses by designing a mailing list to document the emergence of viruses. At first, viruses spread only via floppy disks, but with the spread of the Internet, viruses were able to spread faster and more uncontrollably.
Types of antivirus software
Basically there are three different types of antivirus software:
Real-time scanner
Manual scanner
Online virus scanner
The real-time scanner is also called access scanner. It is characterized by the fact that it runs as a system service (example: Windows) or as a daemon (Unix) in the background and scans programs, files or Working memory scans. The applications are checked during the reading and writing process
The manual scanner differs in that it must be started by the user. Typical software systems include Norton Antivirus. If the program finds suspicious files on the computer, there are warning messages that show vulnerable areas of the computer. As a rule, the user can choose between three different functions in the event of a virus attack: Cleaning, quarantine and deletion of the malicious files.
The online virus scanner in turn are programs that load your antivirus pattern over a network. Most online scanners are based on the so-called, now obsolete software component model ActiveX. There are also some applications based on Java technology.
How does antivirus software work?
The software scanners that are important for running antivirus software work signature-based and heuristically to detect errors and malicious components. Signature-based scanning involves the targeted distribution of small pieces of code from current viruses and Trojans that have already become known. In this way, viruses and Trojans can be detected and ideally eliminated. The heuristic search is more complex. It examines programs that are already running and installed on the affected computer. Suspicious behavior such as the self-call of a program is detected.
Success rate and criticism
Even though antivirus programs are very useful and often protect the user from great harm, not every harmful program can be detected. Experts like Symantec vice president Bryan Dye believe that these programs have only a 45 percent chance of success. They cannot completely replace prudent user behavior. Good measures to protect your own system include regular defragmentation of your computer.
Despite its usefulness, antivirus software is also under criticism. For example, time-critical application errors can occur due to the delay in scanning the Data. Also the permanent scan of databases, especially if they are very large, can lead to problems. Often there are error messages.
