One evening, John was working on his laptop as usual. Everything seemed fine until the screen suddenly slowed down, strange pop-up ads started flashing, and his important files wouldn’t open. At first, he thought it was just a small bug, but within minutes, the whole system became almost unusable. Panic set in when he realized that some of his personal documents had completely disappeared. John had unknowingly downloaded a virus. That moment made him wonder: How did this happen, and what could protect him from it next time? The answer lies in antivirus software.
What is Antivirus Software?
Antivirus software is a security program designed to detect, prevent, and remove malicious software (malware) such as viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, ransomware, and more. Its main goal is to protect your computer, smartphone, or tablet from threats that can steal your data, slow down your device, or even damage your files.
How Does Antivirus Work?
- Scanning Files and Programs – Antivirus continuously scans the files on your device and checks them against a database of known threats.
- Real-Time Protection – It monitors your activities (like browsing or downloading) in real time to block suspicious behavior before damage occurs.
- Heuristic Analysis – Even if a virus is new and not yet in the database, antivirus uses smart algorithms to detect unusual patterns and stop it.
- Automatic Updates – Since new malware appears every day, antivirus software updates frequently to stay ahead of hackers.
- Quarantine and Removal – When a threat is found, it’s moved to a safe “quarantine” area or deleted to protect your system.
What are the 5 Major Features of an Antivirus?
Antivirus software provides essential protection for your devices. Its five major features include real-time protection, which monitors your system continuously to block viruses and malware; malware detection and removal, which identifies and safely removes threats like spyware, ransomware, and Trojans; automatic updates to stay ahead of new threats; firewall integration for extra network security; and safe browsing & email protection, which warns against malicious websites, phishing links, and infected attachments. These features work together to keep your PC, laptop, and smartphone safe.
