Antivirus programs are ubiquitous and present in many shapes and forms on most computers today. However, why are antivirus programs so important, and what do they do? Below, we dive into some basic definitions and pointers to help define what antivirus programs are, and why antivirus programs are so important.

What is an Antivirus program?

An Antivirus program, also known as an antimalware program, is a special kind of application that is dedicated to safeguarding your computer against all kinds of threats. It’s a sophisticated piece of software designed to detect, prevent, and remove malicious software (malware) from your computers and networks.

There is a mind-boggling amount of malware prowling around on the internet. This means that Antivirus programs must constantly evolve to protect against the latest threats.

Check out some of the threats that antivirus programs can help protect against:

• Ransomware
  • Malicious programs that lock up your files, forcing you to pay a ransom to hopefully regain your data.
• Viruses
  • Malicious code that spreads by attaching to other files, often through infected files shared by users.
• Trojans
  • Malicious software that relies on deception to trick users into executing them. Trojans can steal data, delete files, perform proxy tasks, or spread other harmful files.
• Worms
  • A type of virus that can self-replicate and spread independently through network connections and shared files.
• Zero-day threats
  • Malicious exploits or programs that haven’t even been detected or officially discovered yet by security companies.

These are just a few of the threats that antivirus programs help protect against.

There are also several kinds of antivirus/antimalware programs, and ultimately they differ in the kind of protections they offer, as well as how they can be managed.

Here are some of the most common kinds of antivirus/antimalware programs:

• Basic, free Antivirus: These applications primarily offer signature-based and real-time scanning engines, and are equipped to handle most basic threats.
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): EDR’s are considered the most basic “business level” antivirus apps. They often come equipped with centralized dashboards that security professionals can use to monitor multiple computers at once, and have more advanced features, such as heuristic analysis and ransomware rollback. Some EDR’s also offer the ability to export events and logs to special servers to help identify and manage threats.
• Managed Detection and Response (MDR): MDR’s take EDR a step further and are usually paired with a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) or Security Operations Center (SOC) to offer 24/7 monitoring and response capabilities.
• Extended Detection and Response (XDR): XDR takes MDR and EDR yet another step further by offering extremely advanced features, and can protect more than just computers or servers. They can be used to protect cloud and business applications, and can even protect against network-level threats. If EDR and MDR’s protect computers and servers, XDR’s can protect entire aspects of a company’s infrastructure.

At Attainable Security, we offer EDR, MDR, and even XDR services. Depending on your needs, one might meet your needs better than the others. Get in touch with us today to discover which one might be right for your business.

How do Antivirus programs work?

Given the complexity of the threats that antivirus programs are designed to protect against, it makes sense that the technology that goes into them is incredibly advanced.

Antivirus programs use many different technologies and methods to help protect your computer, such as:

• Signature-based detection: Identifying known malware by their unique ‘fingerprints’
  • In order for signature-based detection to work, security companies keep massive databases that catalog millions of different threats so that they can detect when one of those threats shows up on a computer. It’s similar in concept to a “wanted” list that a law enforcement department might keep.
• Heuristic analysis: Spotting suspicious behavior that might indicate new, unknown threats
  • Heuristic analysis can be absolutely critical when fighting a Zero-day threat.
• Real-time scanning: Continuously monitoring your system for potential threats
  • Real-time scanning can work so quickly that a malicious file can be quarantined within milliseconds of being downloaded.
• Ransomware Rollback: Automatically stop and undo ransomware attacks right as they launch.
  • Ransomware rollback can often mean the difference between a tiny inconvenience, and month-long disruptions to the operations of a company.

Why are antivirus programs so important?

In many cases, antivirus programs can represent the final line of defense between a hacker and your data and computers. If an antivirus program has to kick into gear to protect you, your computer, and your data, this means that all other security measures have failed: Your firewall didn’t block a malicious website, or your email filter didn’t stop a dangerous email, etc.

Think of an antivirus program as body armor: If you find yourself in a situation where bullets are flying your way, all other safeguards that should prevent that scenario from occurring have failed, and you’re in a worst-case scenario. In that worst-case scenario, you really want to have good body armor.

If something gets all the way to your computer and begins to execute, the same principle applies: You want the program to be top of the line and able to protect you at a moment’s notice.

However, this doesn’t account for the ultimate, absolutely final line of defense: you! At the end of it all, antivirus programs, firewalls, filters, multi-billion dollar analytical engines, etc. Can’t replace the true last line of defense: human discernment and awareness. We believe in this so much that we offer a Human Risk Management service to help educate and train your workforce. Additionally, we offer a completely free human risk report. Sign up here!

As always, we’re here to help! If you ever have any questions, want to find out more about how we can help secure your business, or simply want to say hi, reach out to us today!