Types & Classification of Computer Antivirus

Antivirus rating

The multiple ways in which a computer can be attacked, infected or damaged translate into the existence of very varied defense mechanisms, reflected in a wide range of antivirus on the market. These Antiviruses can be classified according to very different criteria and, depending on one or another, these programs will have different characteristics and will fulfill different objectives.

We have developed an exhaustive catalog according to different ordering guidelines. Keep reading to learn about the types of antivirus that exist and find out which one interests you the most!

Types of Antivirus according to their purpose

Prevent, identify or eliminate are the three possibilities that are presented to kill a virus and, according to them, there are three antivirus models:

· Preventive Antiviruses: They are characterized by anticipating the infection to avoid the entry of a malicious program in the computer. Therefore, its name refers to its ability to prevent viruses from attacking computer systems. However, since they are stored in the computer's memory, they are not the most used, as they can slow down the operation of the computer.

·Identifier Antiviruses: Its function is, as its name implies, to identify threats that can affect the performance of the operating system. They do this by scanning the system and examining the byte sequences of codes that are related to dangerous programs.

·Decontaminating Antiviruses: Its objective is focused on eliminating the infection that has damaged the computer, eliminating the viruses. It also tries to restore the system to the state it was in before being attacked by the malicious program.

Types of Antiviruses according to your specific objective

Spyware, misappropriation of data for fraudulent purposes on certain websites, pop-up windows, entry into our email address of unsolicited messages. These are some of the threats to which a computer or its owner is exposed. To prevent each of them, there are specific tools that are part of antivirus, especially in their full versions. Let's see what they are:

·Firewall: Also known as a firewall, it falls under the category of preventive tools, as it acts as a wall of defense that tries to block malicious programs from accessing a system. It is highly recommended, especially in those computers with permanent (or regular) connection to a network or to the Internet. The purpose of the firewall is to control inbound and outbound traffic, and paralyze suspicious activities.

·Antispyware: These are applications that detect and eliminate spyware, that is, those that are installed on the computer in a hidden way to know the user's browsing habits as well as their passwords and other data, which they then transmit to an unauthorized entity.

·Antipop-ups:  Its objective is to identify and avoid the execution of annoying pop-up windows that appear while browsing the Internet, known as pop-ups. In some of these windows many spyware are hidden.

·Antispam: It is the utility used to prevent the arrival of junk mail (spam) to the inbox of our e-mail address, sending it directly to the recycle bin or to the junk mail tray.

·Antimalware: More than a tool, it is usually a program that blocks and removes any form of malware, Malware bytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) being a well-known example. Malware, in reality, is any malicious software or program that infiltrates a computer with the aim of damaging it. On many occasions, it is used as a synonym for “virus ".

Types of Antiviruses according to their function

Antivirus, can fulfill various functions in its fight to identify computer threats and eliminate them. Thus, defense applications can be classified into:

·Eliminators-repairers: The objective of this Antiviruses is focused on eliminating threats from the affected parts of the system. In addition, later, they repair the computer to return it to its previous state.

·Detectors: Their function is none other than to notify the user of the presence of a known virus. However, in this case, it is said user who is in charge of solving the problem to end the infection.

·Immunizers: They stand out for their security, since they anticipate the entry or attack of any malicious program. Installed in the memory of the device, they are mainly responsible for monitoring the execution of applications, formatting the disks and copying the files.

·Heuristics: They work like a simulator, since they pretend to launch programs to see how they behave and identify suspicious situations.

·Residents: Like immunizers, they are found in the computer's memory and their function is to analyze programs from the moment the user opens them, examining whether or not the open file contains a virus.

Types of antivirus according to their category

Finally, to finish our broad classification of Antiviruses, we have alluded to its category or condition, related to its way of acting or the place where it is installed:

·Passive Antiviruses: It is one that does not have permanent operation or protection, even if it is installed on the computer.

·Active antivirus: It is a program that, although it may not exercise constant protection, it does run and work, carrying out some kind of action, continuously.

·Online Antiviruses:  It is not installed on the computer, but it performs the scans from the Internet. For this reason, it does not work as a means of protection for the computer, but is used only to know if there is a virus in the latter. They are also passive because they do not have a permanent operation.

·Offline Antiviruses: It is the program that is installed on the computer to protect it, detect threats and eliminate malicious applications.