The Best Antivirus Reviews 2024

In a nutshell, antivirus protection is software that preventatively detects, neutralizes then gets rid of malware. Using a regularly updated database of malware and viruses, it runs scans comparing a device’s files to the files in their database. It also scans the device for any suspicious behaviors that could indicate malware, which allows the software to detect malware even if it’s not already in the database. Again, no antivirus protection is 100 percent foolproof, but with up-to-date databases and behavior-based detection, the best antivirus software is your best bet against cyber attacks.

Antivirus software scans for a few things both on-demand and on-access. While an on-access scanner, or OAS, runs in the background of your device, an on-demand scanner, or ODS, only scans when you “demand” a scan manually or schedule scans in advance. But what exactly is the software scanning for, in the first place? 

Malware: Malware is an umbrella term that covers a number of different types of cyber threats, including ransomware, adware, and spyware. At its core, though, malware is designed to access people’s devices without their consent or awareness. Once they’ve gained access, malware is used to steal people’s personally identifiable information, which can be used for identity theft, or simply to mess with their settings. Malware can be in the form of computer worms, which are programs that duplicate themselves throughout a network to collapse it. Computer works can exist in email messages or attachments, which is why you should never click on unknown emails. There’s also trojan viruses, malware that’s disguised as legitimate software, just like the Trojan horse, that lets hackers access and control devices, so antivirus can stop hackers. Spyware: Spyware refers to programs that infect devices and collect the user’s information, like their bank and credit card information, names, and more. One type of spyware is keyloggers, which record keystrokes to steal credentials. Ransomware: People aren’t the only things that can be held ransom; devices can be held ransom, as well, if hackers hijack into a computer and block access until a ransom is paid. Adware: Adware hides on devices and shows the user advertisements as well as monitors their online behavior. This helps brands create targeted advertisements based on what the user searches for. Here are steps to remove adware, if need be. Spoofing: Spoofing happens when a person pretends to be someone else to get a user’s credentials so they can access their systems, steal information and spread malware. This can be done through email, websites, texts, GPS, and other methods. Remote access attacks: Next to last, remote access attacks are malicious actions that target either one or an entire network of computers. Rather than affecting the computers themselves, these attacks find the machine’s vulnerable points to view and steal data, introduce malware and viruses, and more. Phishing: In a nutshell, phishing is a form of email fraud that occurs when emails contain malicious attachments to dangerous websites or downloads. Viruses: Finally, a virus is any malicious code or program that attaches itself to legitimate files or programs and corrupts data, harming the software itself.