Over the years, endpoint security has evolved from primitive antivirus software to more sophisticated next-generation platforms employing advanced technology and better endpoint detection and response.
Because of the increased threat that modern cyberattacks pose, experts are exploring more elegant ways of keeping data safe from threats.
Signature-Based Antivirus Software
Signature-based detection is the use of footprints to identify malware. All programs, applications, software and files have a digital footprint. Buried within their code, these digital footprints or signatures are unique to the respective property. With signature-based detection, traditional antivirus products can scan a computer for the footprints of known malware.
These malware footprints are stored in a database. Antivirus products essentially search for the footprints of known malware in the database. If they discover one, they’ll identify the malware, in which case they’ll either delete or quarantine it.
When new malware emerges and experts document it, antivirus vendors create and release a signature database update to detect and block the new threat. These updates increase the tool’s detection capabilities, and in some cases, vendors may release them multiple times per day.
With an average of 350,000 new malware instances registered daily, there are a lot of signature database updates to keep up with. While some antivirus vendors update their programs throughout the day, others release scheduled daily, weekly or monthly software updates to keep things simple for their users.
But convenience comes at the risk of real-time protection. When antivirus software is missing new malware signatures from its database, customers are unprotected against new or advanced threats.
Next-Generation Antivirus
While signature-based detection has been the default in traditional antivirus solutions for years, its drawbacks have prompted people to think ..
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