Antiviruses Classification
Antivirus is a special program, designed to fight computer viruses. The main task of antivirus is to prevent intrusion and infection of the user's computer from portable media devices or the Internet. There're great many of antivirus programs; each one has its own advantages and drawbacks. The most important thing is know how to use them.
Antiviruses can be classified by several criteria; that's why there's no single classification of antivirus products. Let's consider the most popular of them.
By variability in time
Taking into account the whole antivirus activity comes to detection and processing of information, and the information can be relatively divided into 2 forms – static and dynamic, this antivirus classification consists of only 2 types:
- Data analysis (static information)
- Processes analysis (dynamic information)
Data analysis includes "scanners" and "auditor": "scanners" select the code fragments, which can be malicious, and hence, make up a conclusion about the presence of virus or some scumware. They can cure the affected data or delete them; "auditors" save the system status in order to analyze the changes in places, where they shouldn't have occurred, thus controlling the data integrity and making decisions on presence of a virus or scumware in the system.
Processes analysis takes place directly at the time of their run. The analyzed code isn't presented here in the form of data, but in the form of commands. Each operation is checked by "analyzer" with assignment of risk level due to which the decision is made whether the operation is harmful. Thus, the "analyzer" plays the role of a guard that warns the user of possible danger by opening a request for permission to perform this operation.
By product functional
Basing on this classification, all antivirus products can be also divided into two types:
- Antivirus product
- Combined product
The first one protects only from viruses. The second one works with malware performing data backup and enciphering, spam filtering etc.
By target platforms
Depending on the system that has to be protected by antiviruses, they could be relatively divided into three types:
- Antiviruses for Windows OS
- Antiviruses for UNIX OS (Linux, BSD OS, Mac OS X)
- Antiviruses for cell phones (platforms iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile etc.)
By used technologies
In accordance with antivirus protection methods involved, all the products of antivirus protection are divided into:
- Classic
- Proactive
- Combined
Classic antiviruses use only signature method of detection: the program refers to the list of known viruses made by the program authors. If any part of the checked program coincides with the signature (code) of a virus in the dictionary, the antivirus can either delete this file, or try to restore it; otherwise it can make the file unavailable to run.
Proactive antiviruses are different from classic ones, since they prevent the infection, rather than search of a virus existing in the system.
It's easy to guess, combined antivirus software uses in its work either signature or proactive methods.
The most popular antivirus programs:
- BitDefender Antivirus
- Kaspersky Antivirus
- Norton Antivirus
- McAfee Antivirus
- Avast Antivirus
- TrendMicro Antivirus
- ESET Antivirus
- Panda Antivirus
- Avira Antivirus
- AVG Antivirus
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- Comodo