Antivirus software (AV)

Antivirus software, also known as anti-malware, is a computer program used to prevent, detect, and remove malware. Traditional antivirus software relies heavily upon signatures to identify malware. When malware arrives in the hands of an antivirus firm, it is analyzed by malware researchers or by dynamic analysis systems. Then, once it is determined to be a malware, a proper signature of the file is extracted and added to the signatures database of the antivirus software.