A reputable antivirus program can protect against malware infections and eliminate existing threats or attacks against computers, networks or even entire IT systems. The antivirus programs scan websites, files, installed software and user information to look for known malware types and monitor day-to-day program behavior to detect potential threats and alert the user.
The majority of antivirus security solutions offer different scanning methods that include scheduled, speedy and on-access scans. On-access scans search directories of the operating system and common file areas to search for malicious code at the time of the start-up. Scheduled scans allow you to create a daily, monthly or weekly schedule to run a complete system scan at a specific time. Quick scans are typically a few minutes long and examine the most frequently used areas of your computer, including temporary files and the operating system directory or memory.
Some programs employ heuristic analysis to detect malware by looking for similar trends or patterns. This is a much more advanced method of virus detection as compared to signature-based detection and may catch malware other programs miss. These advanced forms of antivirus detection may not work as well for small businesses, as they are often prone to false positives–identifying secure parts of files and programs as potentially harmful.
Hackers are increasingly targeting businesses as the world of business becomes more interconnected. They use this technique to steal consumer information or to gain a reputation through hacktivism. This is when hackers disrupt professional systems to achieve social or political goals. Every business should have antivirus security in place to safeguard them from cyberattacks.
