Hacking Exposed Malware & Rootkits: Security Secrets and Solutions, Second Edition, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 7

ANTIVIRUS

Antivirus (AV) is a necessity in every computer system. When you purchase a computer at a major retail store or on a website, an AV solution usually comes bundled with the system or is offered at a discounted rate. The computer security policies of federal government and private industry alike now largely require that AV be present on any system that connects to their network. Home users look to AV software to protect their system and data from malicious viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, and a host of other Internet-based threats. This situation has been going on for a very long time and is obviously good business for the AV companies—but is it good for the consumer? Does AV technology really work? How does it work ...