Antivirus protection is software that detects and blocks malware that can infiltrate a enterprise’s digital systems in order to steal, alter or destroy data. It is compatible with a wide range of devices including laptops, desktops and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets as well as connected which is better webroot or avast home gadgets such a smart TVs and printers.

Modern antivirus software employs multiple detection techniques to prevent a single virus. Signature-based detection is a common method. This involves analyzing files for matches and maintaining an inventory of distinct code snippets, referred to as malware signatures. If attackers alter malicious code to avoid recognition by signatures, they are considered polymorphic, and require more sophisticated detection methods.

Heuristic-based detection is an sophisticated method. It tries to detect malware by identifying patterns that are unique to malicious code, for example, altering and deleting large amounts of data, changing the settings of other programs or remotely connecting to computers. The use of algorithms for detection can cause security alert fatigue and must be carefully tuned to avoid false positives.

Look for a robust antivirus program that is able to manage polymorphic malware, ransomware memory attacks, and other advanced threats. It should also be simple to deploy across a vast range of devices, such as Macs and PCs, and also work with various operating systems. Also, it should not use up too many system resources, as this can reduce the performance of a single device, or lead to computer crashes.