"Antivirus Defense Techniques" from
The Art of Computer Virus Research and Defense
by Peter Szor
Ever wonder how antivirus systems identify malicious software? This month's eBook provides an in-depth look at how antivirus scanning techniques have evolved over the last 15 years to address the latest threats. You may be surprised to find out that today's state-of-the-art antivirus packages use sophisticated code emulation and even virtual machines — sometimes seen as the "secret weapon" that has kept antivirus scanners alive for so long.
This book discusses antivirus techniques including:
- Simple pattern-based virus detection
- Exact identification
- Detection of encrypted, polymorphic, and metamorphic viruses
- Generic and heuristic methods to detect entire classes of viruses
- Repair techniques used to restore the clean state of infected files
Antivirus scanners have become complicated instruments, utilizing some of the most fascinating ideas and inventions to continue their never-ending fight against tricky computer viruses. By understanding these strategies, you can better understand the nature of today's computer security challenges.
