Guidance to Antivirus Software

 

Guidance to Antivirus Software

When were 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 with the aim of protecting users. One of the pioneering companies was the German G Data , which in 1987 created Anti-Virus 'Software' with the aim of safeguarding 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 perform 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 Software also have the ability to detect threats by identifying patterns in files , locating system alterations and analyzing strange behavior of computer components.

Current antivirus therefore have two essential functions: to scan the files of the computer one by one for 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 do antivirus defend us against?

Antiviruses prevent various types of 'malware':

The viruses are malicious programs that camouflages 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 running and propagating themselves through the network, with the aim of collapsing 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 it to be forwarded to all the user's email addresses, in this way it was able to spread throughout 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 properly, 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 a financial 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 euros.

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 it 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 senders.

Another common route of contagion is that which occurs when other external devices such as 'pen-drives' 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 external unknown sources such as public chargers.

How effective are 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 in order to detect new threats that are constantly emerging.

Despite having an antivirus installed, it is necessary to continue to maintain safe behaviors 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 is it advisable to install an antivirus?

Every day 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 analyze the data traffic of the home network of the home protecting cameras, 'SmartTVs', printers, consoles, etc.

Which antivirus to choose?

There are many antivirus on the market, many of them are free and others are paid. The Internet Security Office has an extensive analysis of free antivirus with a detail of its specifications in order to choose the most appropriate to the user's needs. Most of these free antivirus have a paid part that includes additional features such as password manager and automatic program updates , among other features. Also, paid antivirus products do not include advertising.

On the other hand, the user can consult rankings of the best antivirus software according to the results they have obtained in technical tests. An example of these rankings is the one prepared by the specialized magazine Virus Bulletin or the Trusted Antivirus Review website, which also collects the opinion of users.

In case you need more generic advice on the maintenance of computers, tablets and smartphones, the American non-profit organization Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, offers a comprehensive guide on protecting privacy on its website .

 

 

And finally, what maintenance does an antivirus need?

The only maintenance that an antivirus needs is its regular update. New threats in the form of viruses appear every day in many places on the planet and as soon as they are detected and analyzed, they are included in the antivirus in order to be able to effectively protect our computers, devices and objects connected to the internet.

In conclusion, antivirus are becoming more sophisticated every day and provide a very high level of security: they are, without a doubt, the best ally of users to avoid 'malware' and its consequences. But let's remember that the first link in the security chain is still the person.