Anti-Virus Information FYI:

Ziff-Davis Anchor Desk Newsletter

Written by:

Robert Vamosi
Senior Editor, Reviews
Friday, November 5, 2004

Under the hood, antivirus apps are basically the same:
For $50, no matter which app you buy, you're investing in antivirus software that includes a scanner engine and a year's worth of signature-file updates. You need the updates to identify the latest viruses and worms, and most antivirus apps now automatically download the updates behind the scenes, so you don't have to worry about it. The engines themselves match patterns , that is, they look at files on your hard drive and compare them to the signature files you just downloaded. If there's a match, the suspect file goes into quarantine , a protected folder on your hard drive where it can't hurt your system (again, this too has been automated so that you hardly ever notice this process). Lately, antivirus apps have added heuristics , the ability to sense a new virus or worm before a signature file has been downloaded based on malicious behavior. Also, most every antivirus app will check both incoming and outgoing e-mail messages for signs of infection.