Antivirus software is a form of software that guards computers from malware infection. This includes viruses, Trojans, spyware, rootkits, adware and worms. It can also detect and repair any damage caused by these threats.

Antivirus programs are an essential tool for protecting your laptop or desktop. They can protect against attacks from hackers, and detect and eliminate phishing attacks, ransomware, and spam emails. They are also able to scan and protect connected appliances such as SmartTVs and printers.

When selecting an antivirus program choose one that has an extensive history of passing numerous tests and receiving good reviews from independent labs. Virus Bulletin and TechRadar are among the organizations that run tests and review antivirus software. They will let you know what security features they provide, how well the program performs, and if it's worth the money.

Traditional antivirus software relies upon the signature, or binary pattern of viruses, to identify it. However hackers have kept pace with this, by creating oligomorphic and polymorphic viruses, which can encrypt a portion of themselves or alter their appearance in order to not be able to match the signatures of viruses stored in antivirus databases. Newer antivirus software is designed to be more effective against these sophisticated malware threats through sandbox analysis, which executes the file in a virtual environment to see the way it behaves prior to allowing it to enter the system.