Antivirus Software Features
Malware scanning — Malware scanning features allow antivirus tools to scan devices, browsers and networks for the presence of malware. The tools will identify the location of the computer virus and alert either you or your IT administrator of its presence.
Some dangerous software programs may lay dormant for extended periods of time without displaying symptoms. Hackers could leave a backdoor to gain access to your systems; they could also be waiting to execute a dangerous application. Malware scanning will identify these threats and expedite the remediation process.
Continuous scanning — On-demand or periodic scans, while helpful, can miss malware for as long as your settings allow. Continuous scanning keeps your systems safer by constantly analyzing endpoints to identify threats as they arise.
Users may forget to run scans or the periodic scans may be poorly timed, allowing a virus to infect a network. Instead of finding out once you run the scan, a continuous scanning antivirus application will alert users of threats as they emerge.
Firewall — Firewalls provide an added layer of security by monitoring and filtering network traffic. These tools will prevent intrusions by identifying suspicious activity and either block access to the network or alert an administrator of the threat.
There are multiple kinds of firewalls built for specific uses or devices. Some are designed to protect applications, while others only support specific operating systems. However, just because an application says it has firewall features, does not mean it will be effective for your specific use case.
Web protection — Many antivirus solutions have features designed to identify potentially dangerous websites or online downloads. An antivirus program with web protection features may scan downloads before saving them or disable a site possessing adware.
There are a number of different browser-based threats that can automatically trigger downloads of dangerous malware. Some even automatically download files upon entering a website without the user ever clicking a button.
Email protection — Email protection features act like additional spam filters and file scanners. Emails from sites known to possess malware will be automatically moved to a spam folder or other isolated area.
Some tools will move files to an isolated environment and scan them for dangerous components prior to actually downloading them. Other tools may identify phishing attacks before a user can input sensitive information or be led to a dangerous website.
Automatic updates — Because there are millions of different computer viruses that could threaten your endpoints, antivirus programs must be frequently updated. These will inform the program of new threats and look out for them in the future.
Automatic updates increase the antivirus tool’s effectiveness by limiting potential human error. Some users may not understand the effects of not updating their security tools; others may simply forget. Automatic updates take the responsibility out of your employee’s hands and do the job for them.
Cross-platform use — If your company uses a variety of devices or hopes to add antivirus protection to different IT infrastructure components such as servers or computing appliances, a cross-platform tool is entirely necessary.
Some programs may only function as a Mac antivirus or a Windows antivirus program. Some tools might not cover mobile devices or Linux systems. Be sure the antivirus program system requirements are met by your array of devices.
Potential Issues with Antivirus Software
Updating software — Employees are not always the most reliable users when it comes to keeping software applications up-to-date. Many don’t remember and others just don’t care. Failing to update antivirus software will prevent the tool from identifying new threats and informing users of potential vulnerabilities.
Updated software can improve the effectiveness of an antivirus program by adding malware signatures to its database. There are millions of unique malware programs threatening companies today. Without an up-to-date database, antivirus programs may miss new and existing malware and put companies at risk.
Existing malware — Antivirus programs provide a lot of features for analyzing systems, detecting the presence of malware, and preventing new viruses from infecting networks. But companies adopting antivirus software for the first time likely already have some malware on their devices. Antivirus software doesn’t always provide the tools necessary to remove complex forms of malware.
Without the ability to detect and remove malware, companies are susceptible to a wide range of programs hackers use to access networks and steal valuable information. As a result, some antivirus solutions should be paired with an endpoint detection and response (EDR) or incident response solution to investigate and remove existing threats.
