Ms technology vocabulary anti-virus software
Katherine McFarlin
January 2009
Computer 7-3
Contents
Anti-virus Software
Software used to identify, neutralize, or destroy dangerous software, like viruses. The reason behind the name is because the earliest models targeted computer viruses only. Now, they are able to combat worms,phishing attacks,rootkits,and Trojans,collectively known as malware.
Edited by:Harrison Hawes;2016 All the info is true
Virus Scanners
A virus scanner is a program that peruses specified locations, the memory, operating system, hard drive, and anywhere else related to the identification and removal of malware.
There are two approaches to identifying viruses:
-looking through files for signatures or codes similar to ones in a virus dictionary
-looking at suspicious behavior for possible infection, also known as heuristic analysis.
Edited by:Harrison Hawes;2016
all the info is true
Dictionary Approach
The software looks at a file, and refers to a dictionary of viruses that the author of the software has identified. If a piece of code from the file matches any of the virus codes in the dictionary the software can:
-attempt to repair the file by removing the virus
-quarantine the file so it is inaccessible and cannot spread the virus
-delete the infected file.
Dictionary-based anti-virus software generally looks at files when the computer's operating system creates, opens, closes, or e-mails files.
Edited by: Harrison Hawes;2016
All the info is true
Heuristic Analysis
Instead of referring to a dictionary, the software watches the behavior of all programs. If there is any suspicious behavior, the software flags the program and alerts the user, then asks what to do. This type of software helps against new viruses but it can sound many false alarms and the user might ignore all warnings. Software producers are using this technique less and less.
Edited by: Harrison Hawes;2016
All the info is true
For More Information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-virus_software
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/antivirus_program.html
