Synonyms: Anti-virus upgrade
Nearly all anti-virus programs make use of signature analysis: that is, using a database that contains byte sequences belonging to known viruses, worms, Trojans or other malicious code. As the list of known threats grows, new virus definitions (or signatures) are added to the anti-virus databases. Anti-virus researchers at Kaspersky Lab, for example, add around 200 new records to the database every day. Enhanced protection is passed on to users in the form of an update. In addition, new anti-virus engine functionality may also be delivered as part of an anti-virus database update.
Signature analysis is not the only protection method available. Anti-virus solutions have become increasingly sophisticated over the years, to counter the growing complexity of malicious programs. Proactive detection mechanisms designed to detect new threats before they appear in the field, such as heuristic analysis, generic detection or behavioral analysis, are also an important first line of defense.
Nevertheless, regular updating of anti-virus protection remains important, given the speed at which today’s threats are able to spread. Anti-virus vendors have successively reduced the time interval between virus definition updates: first quarterly, then monthly, then weekly, then daily updates. Kaspersky Lab now provides incremental virus definition updates every hour.
Read more:
