Any anti-virus software is only as good as the underlying database. The easiest way that anti-virus programs can prevent system damage is to detect known viruses and malware. Every virus or unwanted program has a specific signature, a digital fingerprint, so to speak. If a program is known as a virus, this signature can be identified as harmful. If the anti-virus software detects such a signature, the executing program is automatically blocked and deleted. Countless new malicious programs are developed every day. Virus programmers are fighting a tough battle against anti-virus software programmers. The signature of every malware detected is immediately imported into the anti-virus program database. However, this latest database can only be used if the user keeps the anti-virus software up to date. Therefore, updating the software is of the utmost importance.

Occasionally, special malware programs directly attack the anti-virus software. You can try to prevent the software from working, but you can also use permits granted to the software to gain unauthorized access to a system or network. Here Anti-Virus Software is no different from any other program. Such errors in the program are corrected as soon as they are recognized, thereby closing the security gaps. However, the following also applies here: The improvements can only come into force if the program is actually up to date and all updates have been carried out. It is highly recommended that the anti-virus software, like most other important programs on the computer, allow automatic updates to be carried out.

Of course, the developers of anti-virus software are always in the process of developing new methods with which both known viruses can be better recognized and unknown viruses in general. These new possibilities can build on known signatures and recognize similarities to unknown ones, but also analyze the pattern of programs and thereby filter out possible threats. New variants of scan programs for the targeted search for viruses are also being developed. For paid anti-virus programs, these updates are usually included in the service. A contract is often concluded for a certain period of time. During this time, all innovations in the software are available free of charge. With free anti-virus software, updates are of course free of charge. Only the frequency in which these take place will be guaranteed to be lower. But here too, it is necessary to carry out the updates regularly - be it manually or by means of automatic updates.