What is Antivirus Software? - Importance, Types, and Uses

In the digital world, where danger lurks around every corner, antivirus software is your knight in shining armour. It’s a powerful tool that can help protect your computer from malware, viruses, and other threats. But what exactly is antivirus software, and how does it work?

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at antivirus software. We’ll explain what it is, how it works, and why it’s so important for your computer’s security. We’ll also discuss the different types of antivirus software available so you can choose the right one for your needs.

Table of Contents

• What is Antivirus Software?
• How Antivirus Works?
• Importance of Antivirus
• Antivirus vs Anti-malware
• Popular Antivirus Software in 2025
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Antivirus Software
• Conclusion

What is Antivirus Software?

Antivirus software is dedicated to detecting cyber threats such as malware, spyware, and phishing. After downloading it, you can modify its settings to delete such threats immediately. The level of automated or manual threat detection varies depending on the type of antivirus software you choose.

Following are the different types of cyber threats that antivirus software is designed against.

Phishing

In phishing attacks, you will receive mail from an apparent bank or government representative stating that your account has been hacked or compromised by a third party. The motive of the mail is to make you click the given link, where the attacker can fetch your data easily. Sometimes, the stories in the emails might change based on the type of phishing.

Tech giants, such as Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, have been working toward filtering such messages in your mail. While a majority of such emails do get filtered and sent to spam, phishing emails sometimes play around with the algorithm and land in your primary mail. If you see such emails, permanently delete them immediately.

Malware

It is important to understand malware to understand antivirus. Malware functions with the intention to loot your bank account, steal your identity, and many more activities of a malicious nature. A few pieces of malware can delete your important files, make your system crash, damage your server, and much more.

Spyware

Spyware usually enters into your device’s operating system, spies your activities, and generates ads accordingly. Sometimes. spyware generates unwanted ads as well.

But how does antivirus work to find the above-mentioned types of cyber threats? The following section of this blog will answer this question.

How Antivirus Works?

When you install antivirus software, it usually comes with preloaded information on the most common viruses. When you run antivirus software, it matches your computer’s information and the preloaded information. When there is a match, you will be notified. You can delete the affected files manually by choosing the clean, clear, or delete option in the antivirus software. In addition, you can change the settings to delete such malware or viruses in the future automatically.

It is important to understand what anti-malware software is as well as to understand which antivirus software is more effective. The following section will address this.

Importance of Antivirus

Antivirus plays an important role in any device. The following are a few of the top protections it provides.

• Antivirus detects malware and viruses that prominently penetrate company systems. This will help maintain computer hygiene.
• The number of hackers is immense these days. Hackers tend to target sensitive and confidential data on your system. Antivirus software can detect data access activity and more. Moreover, antivirus software protects data to a great extent.
• If you regularly plug external devices into your PC, the antivirus software will protect your PC/laptop from any potential virus from any external device.

The above methods will greatly protect your PC or laptop against viruses, resulting in a long life for your computer.

Antivirus vs Anti-malware

The similarity between antivirus and anti-malware is that both are designed to protect your device from attackers.

Antivirus software is designed to protect your device from all types of attacks, while anti-malware is designed to protect your device from malware only.

In brief, it can be said that the uses of antivirus are universal. In contrast to the uses of antivirus software, anti-malware software is especially able to protect your device against Trojans and ransomware effectively.

But what are the different types of antivirus software you should be aware of to choose the best-suited antivirus software for you in 2025? The following section of this blog, what is antivirus, will answer the same. The following examples of antivirus software are as per the ITProPortal’s 2021 report. You can read more here.

Popular Antivirus Software in 2025

1. Comodo Windows Antivirus Software

This antivirus software is compatible with the Windows operating system and covers one device at a time. It also offers cloud-based scanning, secure shopping, a game mode, 24/7 tech support, and firewall protection. It costs US$39.99 annually.

2. ESET NOD32 Antivirus

This is one of the latest types of antivirus software on the market. This software is compatible with the Windows operating system and can support up to five devices at a time. It comes with a ransomware shield, UEFI scanner, exploits blocker, and cloud-powered scanning.

It comes with PowerShell, which also scans external devices for viruses. This antivirus software costs US$39.99 annually.

3. Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security

This is one of the latest types of antivirus software on the market. This software is compatible with Windows operating systems and can support one device at a time.

This antivirus software comes with ransomware protection, advanced AI learning, email scam safeguard, and pay guard. A lot of people choose this antivirus software for the software’s affordable pricing, easy handling, and comparatively stronger protection.

You can buy this highly-sensitive antivirus at US$29.95 annually. You can test this software today via the software’s free 30-day trial.

But is antivirus software worth investing in? The following section of this blog will answer the same.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Antivirus Software

Both advantages and disadvantages of computer antivirus are given below:

Advantages of Antivirus Software

1. Your device will be protected against viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware, adware, rootkits, and keyloggers, which will also protect your data.
2. Antivirus software protects your device and data when you accidentally click a phishing link or any such malicious link. It decreases the percentile of virus infection multifold.
3. Antivirus software also protects your confidential information from hackers. This is possible through the firewall provided by antivirus software.
4. By installing this, you can save thousands of dollars in computer repair costs every year.
5. Antivirus software can help in eliminating spam emails as well.

Disadvantages of Antivirus Software

1. Since antivirus software comes in large sizes, your device, at times, can experience lag.
2. Few antivirus software can come without built-in firewall provisions. This can increase the chances of your device being attacked. Thus, to ensure safety, make sure that your antivirus software comes with firewall protection.

Conclusion

Viruses and malware are evolving throughout the world. Over the years, attackers and hackers have been finding technological tactics to attack your devices and circumvent antivirus software systems. Thus, it is always advisable to invest in it with firewall protection. Furthermore, updating antivirus software regularly will ensure its smooth functioning.