What is a computer Antivirus?

A blogger blogging!

An Antivirus software is a program designed for safeguarding computer systems as well as data against malicious software such as Viruses, Trojan horses, Spyware, Adware, Computer Worms and other potentially unwanted software programs.

Usually, Antivirus software detects, alerts you about the presence of malware, prevents and removes the software that seem to be related to the known malware.

The basic security software and hardware that prevent malware from invading your computer system and private network are known as Firewalls. Having your firewall on/working will prevent unauthorized access to your personal data and your computer system in general.

Having a computer that has no Antivirus software will make it possible for malicious hackers to get control of your computer system as well as full-access to your personal data/information such as files and programs.

There are a lot of these software programs; some are free while others you have to purchase them in order to install and run them in your computer system. In order to make your antivirus program powerful and strong enough to fight against security intruders, you suppose to keep it up-to-date by updating it on the regular basis.

Every antivirus program differs from others in case of functionality and how to operate it. To make sure it works properly, check the user manual that came with your software or visit the software manufacturer's official website for more help and support.

Some antivirus manufacturers such as Microsoft Corporation, have the products forums where users are allowed to report the problems they are experiencing in using a product (such as Microsoft Security Essentials) as well as read and review other users' experience and success stories. Spending your spare time visiting these web portals will make you highly experienced on running an Antivirus program in your PC.

Older Antivirus software such as McAfee and Norton are still existing in the battle against malicious conducts, and the new ones are developed and distributed in the constant way. Apart from McAfee and Norton, other Antivirus software programs are Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG antivirus, Avast! Free antivirus, BitDefender Antivirus, Avira Antivirus, Kaspersky Antivirus, Trend Micro Antivirus, Ashampoo Anti-malware, Coranti Antivirus, Net Protector Antivirus etc, a list goes on.