Antivirus Defense Techniques
"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.