The core problem with any security system is that the attackers can investigate them beforehand and try to find ways around them. They can spend as long as they want to figure out a way through, and defenders have very limited time to react and block such new attacks. So when new attacks pop up on the internet, it’s common for them to completely evade antivirus detection.
How do they go Undetected?
Easy! Let’s understand this in a layered structure format:
Humans: Seems like fooling a human brain has become child’s play for hackers. Just make a fake legit-looking website and half the damage is already done. It’s bound to attract the attention of the average user who’ll click on those suspicious links which therein invite trouble in their digital life.
Antivirus Protector: If you are smart enough to bypass hacker’s tricks then this is when the anti-virus comes into picture. Just like in real life, infected files will display some signs of infection from certain malware. If the signature matches for a malware in the malware definition, then it’s safe to assume that that file is infected and prevents the user from executing or opening that file. Anti-malware can easily scan for file system changesand the windows registry.
Anti-malware programs: The third layer is a bit complex, the anti-malware program will scan entire memory other than storage (hard disk) for malware signature and scan the process for dangerous instruction pattern aiming to remove any malware suspect signs if found.
So, the thing is antivirus will protect your system only to the extent it can. But you need to be proactive to ensure maximum protection.
It’s Time to Wake Up!
As malware is becoming more and more polymorphic, more sophisticated anti-virus are the need of the hour. Most anti-virus products are encoded to fight against malware which has already been developed. For instance, you cannot protect yourself from zero day vulnerabilities. Not to say Antivirus software is ineffective.
But installing antivirus is not enough. You have to be on your guard too. Keep updating your installed programs. Monitor your PC’s performance and always backup your data files. That way, you can save yourself from malware attacks to a great extent.
