Antivirus Software: What Are They & Use It Wisely

To safely browse the Internet and carry out proper maintenance of computer equipment, users have a great ally: antivirus. Here are some tips to understand what these tools consist of, what the threats they protect against are and how to get the most out of them.

The use of antivirus is quite widespread on home computers and, on corporate computers, users are familiar with the updates that are periodically executed, but do we take advantage of all the possibilities that antivirus offers us? This article reviews the main characteristics of this type of protective 'software' that it is necessary to know to take advantage of all its advantages.

When Was Antivirus Born?

The history of antivirus is linked, of course, to that of computer viruses or 'malware'. Before the 1980s, experiments had been made with programs that could be transmitted automatically from one computer to another, but it is in this decade that the first viruses that erase data or disable systems were created and released. Shortly afterwards, the first commercial antivirus appeared intending to protect users. One of the pioneering companies was the German G Data, which in 1987 created Antivirus Software to safeguard Atari computers. And in the same year, McAfee released its first version of the popular Virus Scan 'antimalware'.

How Does an Antivirus Work?

Antiviruses have the main mission of detecting and removing 'malware' (or 'malicious software) from computers and devices even before they have infected the system.

For the identification of 'malware', the antivirus performs a continuous analysis that compares the files present in the computer's operating system with a database that contains the identifying characteristics (or 'signatures') of different examples of 'malware' found with anteriority. This database must be updated frequently with the signatures of the new types of 'malware' that appear every so often. Some antivirus programs also have the ability to detect threats by identifying patterns in files, locating system alterations and analyzing strange behaviour of computer components.

Current antivirus, therefore, has two essential functions: to scan the files of the computer one by one in search of risks using the threat database and to monitor the device to detect any unusual activity. Contrary to what you might think, having more than one antivirus installed on the same device is counterproductive. This is because one antivirus can mistakenly detect another as 'malware' and they can try to block each other, leaving the devices unprotected.

What Threats Does Antivirus Defend Us Against?

Antiviruses prevent various types of 'malware':

• The Viruses are Malicious Programs that camouflage in user files. They are designed to access computers without the consent or knowledge of the users and usually aim to steal information, delete documents or change settings.
• Computer worms are programs capable of executing and propagating themselves through the network, intending to collapse computers and computer networks. One of the best-known worms attacked in 2000 and infected 50 million computers, causing losses of more than about 5 billion Euros. It accessed the teams through an 'email' with the subject "ILOVEYOU" and included a file called "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU. TXT.vbs ". When it was run on the computer, it ordered its forwarding to all the user's email addresses, in this way it was able to spread around the world in just 24 hours.
• Viruses known as  'Trojans'  are a type of 'malware that hides behind the appearance of a legitimate program that works correctly, but when executed, it grants the attacker access to the computer, even allowing it to be controlled remotely.
• The 'Spyware' is, as its name suggests, a program that is hosted on spy equipment and devices and can collect all kinds of information about you: your habits, your personal information, banking information, etc. One type of spyware is the 'keylogger': a malicious program that installs itself on the computer or device and records all the keystrokes made by the user. It is a widely used technique to steal credentials.
• The 'Ransomware' is a type of virus that hijacks the information contained in the computer, encrypting the files, and asks its rightful owner for an economic amount in exchange for its release. The most famous 'ransomware' was launched in 2017, known as WannaCry. It infected thousands of computers in more than 100 countries and had costs estimated at more than 200 million USD

How Can a Computer or Device Be Infected?

The most common method of spreading viruses today is email. It is enough for the user to download an attached file or to install a program that they have accessed through a link to infect their computer with malicious code. To avoid this is very important:

• Do not lower your guard against Suspicious Emails (from unknown senders, emails that are not expected, 'emails' whose content denotes urgency, which contains misspellings and strange wording).
• Activate the 'Antispam' filters for spam or harmful email and be especially careful if you are going to open an email marked as such.
• Think twice before downloading attachments.
• Make sure before clicking on links included in emails. It is preferable to hover over it to check the address it redirects to.

It is also easy to infect devices when programs are downloaded and installed that come from unofficial sources, that appear in pop-up windows or advertisements, or that are included in emails from unknown

Another common route of contagion is that which occurs when other external devices such as 'pen drive or hard drives that have previously been connected to other devices, of which the origin is unknown or that have been provided by other people, are connected to the computer. And also the reverse: when devices are connected to unknown external sources such as public chargers.

How Effective Is Antivirus Software?

To date, there is no 100% effective method that protects against all the 'malware' that circulates on the internet. Cybercrime is a very lucrative industry that evolves rapidly, forcing antivirus software to update their databases and reinvent their detection algorithms quickly to detect new threats that are constantly emerging.

Despite having an antivirus installed, it is necessary to continue to maintain safe behaviours and not lower your guard against social engineering attacks such as ' phishing ' - through email - or ' vishing ' - which is executed through calls telephone numbers. In short, an antivirus cannot protect against the deception techniques used by social engineering.

On Which Devices Are Is Advisable to Install an Antivirus?

Everyday users have more objects, devices and appliances connected to the internet, and therefore exposed to being infected with some type of 'malware'.

In addition to installing an antivirus on fixed computers and laptops, it is highly recommended to do so also on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and on objects connected to the internet. There are already antivirus that analyzes the data traffic of the home network of the home protecting cameras, 'smart TVs, printers, consoles, etc.