A good antivirus program prevents malware infections and eradicates existing threats or attacks on singular computer devices, networks or entire IT systems. The program scans websites, files, installed software and user data for malware types that are known to exist. They also monitor program behaviour to identify potential threats.
Most antivirus solutions offer multiple scanning methods, including on-access, scheduled and quick scans. On-access scans look for malicious code in operating system directories, common file areas and other common locations upon startup. Scheduled scans let you set up a weekly, daily, monthly or weekly schedule for running a complete system scan at an agreed-upon time. Quick scans are typically a couple of minutes long and look at the most frequently used areas of your computer like temporary files or the operating system directory, or memory.
Some programs use heuristic detection to detect malware by looking for similar tendencies or patterns. This is a much more advanced form of virus detection compared to signature-based detection, and can 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 targeting businesses more frequently as the world of business becomes more interconnected. They are doing this in order to collect information from consumers or to establish a reputation through hacktivism. This is when hackers break into professional systems to achieve social or political goals. Security against viruses is crucial for all types of enterprises to have in place to protect against cyberattacks and keep your company and its customers safe.