When you choose the best antivirus software for your device, it is important to know how to use it – otherwise you could pay a service that does not protect anything.
The execution of a virus scan is actually quite easy. You open an antivirus of your choice, click on the generally prominent “scan” button, wait for the program to do its thing and take care of everything that is reported. Or at least, it is the essential and the strict minimum that a user can do.
In reality, the process can have a little more than. So we decided to write a detailed guide to carry out virus analyzes and everything that accompanies it, such as the protection of all your devices.
Select the right security software
Before arriving at the question, choosing the right software for work is the first step to carry out an appropriate virus analysis. Personal antivirus tools are a penny a dozen, with many features and additional security options that go beyond the execution of a scan virus.
Without shortage of market options with different features, the key is to discern between the things you need and what you can do. That said, it’s always a good idea to choose an antivirus that has these characteristics:
Bonus points if the software is light so that it does not slow down your system. That said, you want to avoid free tools with excessive, bad reviews or that came with Bloatware.
Keep your antivirus up to date
It is prudent to do preparation work before the scan, because the maintenance of antivirus software is something that you do not want to forget. This includes things (boring but important) such as updating antivirus definitions and signatures, applying the latest software, and similar, automatically or manually.
The main reason you need to do is that malware evolves quickly, not thanks to the growing use of AI. Consequently, users are faced with all kinds of attacks, such as advanced persistent threats, ransomware as a service or targeted attacks. Admittedly, it is more likely that companies (large and small) will be attacked by more advanced threats, although individual users are not either, especially if they have precious data on their devices.
Therefore, obsolete software can easily miss these threats or simply not protect yourself completely, then you will be in a pickle. In the best of cases, your device will now be very slow with the lower performance, which causes great cleaning, and it is always a problem.
In addition, if you are using subscription -based software, it may be an idea to maintain the renewal option, so you can’t find yourself without any protection.
If you don’t know your device has been infected, note that there are always signs. These include, but without limiting themselves, sudden slow performance, excessive advertisements, new toolbars or search engines, applications opening or crashed by themselves, files or unknown shortcuts on the desktop, etc. In the event that one of these elements occurs, immediately perform a complete analysis.
Choose an appropriate type of analysis
Regarding real analyzes, several types are available, some more suitable than others as needed. A quick analysis can be a good choice for routine operations and daily or continuous monitoring of high -risk areas such as memory or system files.
A complete or deep analysis takes time and is more appropriate for weekly or monthly controls on all files, especially after cycles of fixes or any security incident. It checks each file, application, folder and system component on your device, but it takes a long time.
In the event of newly introduced devices, a personalized analysis will do the trick, even more, if a targeted analysis on high -value assets and suspicious repertoires is necessary. USB readers are a good example.
In some cases, a start -up analysis can be the best option if malware is deeply integrated. This type of sweeping runs before the start of an operating system, catching hidden malware or rootkit.
Whatever the occasion, the automated and politician digitization calendars are essential because they minimize the consistency of manual work and guarantee.
Execution of analyzes
With all the preparation in place, we have reached the node of this guide – in reality an analysis. There should not be any complications here, as for the right tool, carrying out an analysis is simple and easy. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.
For example, do not use heavy applications when scanning because they can slow down the scan and your system. The antivirus software can suspend the scan, then use it if the device is busy or if you need to take a break for other reasons.
If you use a laptop, keep it loaded and connected. It may seem silly, but people sometimes forget the simplest things.
During the scan, your antivirus can detect potentially unwanted programs called puppies. It is generally advertising software, but do not ignore them because they can very easily be malicious.
Remember that the objective here is to minimize operational disturbances while maintaining in -depth security coverage.
Analyze the results of the digitization and act
Once the scan is finished, it’s time to review the results. Simply detecting malware is not enough. Detailed reports are a must, and reports should include threat names, gravity ratings, affected files and recommended actions. This is obviously under the hypothesis that something harmful has been found.
In this case, you should try to correlate detections with known vulnerabilities if there are any. Otherwise, make sure you read the report completely so that you are aware of what you are dealing with.
If the threat is detected, there should be a structured response (preferably a quick) before the damage is caused. At least, you want to reduce its impact.
Learn to find out what type of it is and to put it in quarantine or delete it. Normally, malicious software or suspicious files are automatically qualified or deleted from the system, but it never hurts to check.
In certain situations, you will need to restart the device because some malware cannot be deleted during the execution of the operating system. For particularly annoying threats that continue to return, try the start -up and reinstall the antivirus.
You can always manually delete the infected file by following the antivirus instructions. This should not be a problem because most of the highest rated AV are able to deal with problems like these. If everything else fails, perhaps choose a different antivirus – you might be more likely.
In addition, it is not a bad idea to maintain exportable newspapers in case you need to know more about the threat or Google.
Thereafter, it is a good idea to analyze how malicious software entered. For example, malicious files often enter your system through phishing, unlikely vulnerabilities or another method. It is essential to know so it will not happen again.
Post-horn safety measures
Once the immediate threat is neutralized, there are still work. Namely:
- Operating systems patch and applications to eliminate vulnerabilities
- Modify passwords if keyloggers or malware for identification flight were detected
- Perform a system backup after confirming that the system is clean
- Maintain a regular backup and recovery plan
Most antivirus programs allow you to automate analyzes and allow real-time protection, so make sure you do it. You can plan weekly quick analyzes, execute full analyzes monthly, be informed if the definitions are obsolete, etc.
In general, antivirus works better when defined and forgotten-that is to say after having configured it correctly and carefully. Make sure you always check the reports.
There is a human element to keep your device free from viruses, namely:
- Avoid click on unknown links or attachments
- Download only legitimate software from official websites
- Use solid and unique passwords for each account
- Save important files to a cloud service or an external player
- Keep your browser and your plugins up to date
- Activate multi-factor authentication as far as possible
Regular viral analyzes make all the difference
In today’s world of technology, cybersecurity plays a huge role that only develops with each new attack and data violation. Thus, regular viral analyzes greatly help to help you stay safe online. They will protect intellectual property, financial data and personal information, as well as to avoid downtime, performance and loss of time, and many other things that can hurt an everyday user.
As such, consumers should consider integrating the digitization of viruses in their daily online activities and their use of devices. After all, prevention is the best medication.
