ANTIVIRUS EFFICIENCY

Testing antivirus before its launch are a few things that's done often. Thus, the Jewish calendar month Tests (name by that the said tests area unit known) enable users to decide on that antivirus they need to put in on their computers, knowing what their main characteristics area unit and what they shield against.

So far everything traditional therefore what's the problem? Some makers of security solutions have raised their voices against the actual fact that these tests area unit “not modernized”. In what sense? Some corporations claim that, though the quality of security applications has fully grown significantly in recent times, once conducting evaluations they are doing not take a look at the new technologies with that they're developed.

Complaints heard?

Well, it appears that the complaints haven't fallen on deaf ears. Those primarily accountable for conducting the tests have return to the conclusion that, as time passes, threats are getting a lot of harmful, newer and harder to discover, which security solutions try to safeguard against these new ones threats, it's necessary to vary the method of evaluating applications and incorporate new formulas. Thus, managers from Symantec, F-Secure and Panda Antivirus software system reached an agreement to develop a replacement analysis set up whose mission is to mirror the new capabilities incorporated within the solutions that area unit being launched on the market.

Although initially this new take a look at can evaluate the product of the 3 companies, they trust very little that tiny that small by little the remainder of the players within the antivirus market can be part of the initiative and joint analysis standards are going to be developed one in every of the foremost common tests is to "infect" a laptop with various malicious applications to examine if the antivirus engine is capable of police investigation all threats during this method, the said engine contains a series of indicators, best-known by the name "signatures", which permit distinctive harmful software system.

This test, that was thought of extremely reliable at the time, is one in every of the foremost disputable tests the rationale is that, for makers, their solutions incorporate different ways of distinctive not solely viruses, however conjointly different threats like malware, more practical if we tend to contemplate the importance and magnitude of the threats during this method, Toraly Dirro, McAfee security engineer, highlighted that “this take a look at is vital, however it's now not inerrable the rationale is none aside from the actual fact that there has been AN explosion within the range of distinctive virus programs created by hackers that have resulted in a very reduction within the effectiveness of the virus. The result's that makers have had to include another sort of defense to discover different styles of threats, and in some cases it overlaps with detection through signatures”.

What is getting used?

And, as technology advances, maker’s area unit using behavior analysis detection systems that determine whether or not a definite application is harmful counting on the action it takes on the laptop. In different words, a user will transfer a virulent disease or malware onto their laptop, while not their data, which it's not detected by those security applications that base their operation on analysis through signatures. On the opposite hand, if the program in question starts to send spam, because of the behavior analysis detection system, the action of the virus may be neutral.

But it's not solely detected within the case of spam. The actions of threats may also be neutral within the case, as an example, that they fight to use a buffer vulnerability, wherever a failure in internal memory will mean that the virus works basically.

Manufacturers conjointly need evaluations of different styles of systems, like host-based systems, or intrusion or interference systems (which embrace firewalls and scrutiny techniques), as these may also stop systems attacks.

Shapes count too

Another key consider dynamical analysis modes lies within the method within which a laptop may be infected as an example, years a gone it absolutely was commonest for a virulent disease to gather on a laptop if the user had inserted a disk. Instead, today, the forms area unit totally different, and a lot of complicated. The infection will occur through AN email message, or by visiting websites that are designed to use application program vulnerabilities.

Thus, it ought to be noted that, continued with the reasoning, numerous the varied the assorted modes of attack conjointly imply that there are a unit various defenses, “which ought to be evaluated thoroughly. The tests that area unit administered supported the analysis of the signatures take but 5 minutes to investigate the system, scarce time if what you would like is to understand the effectiveness of a definite answer”, highlights Andreas Marx, director of AV-Test.org. "The reason why this kind of take a look at remains administered is that it's straightforward and low cost," continues the person responsible.

And the worries don't stop here. the quantity of viruses that exist within the network, or the actual fact that the samples that area unit administered area unit “already old”, area unit factors that conjointly concern the pc security sector, that advocate “an analysis system that verifies what applications area unit capable of neutralizing threats, since if the analyzes area unit excessive they'll have an effect on the functioning of the computers, whereas if they're scarce, viruses will produce real havoc”.