Security Strategies in Windows Platforms and Applications, 3rd Edition

Scanning and Auditing Malware

Anti-malware software can fail to detect very new malware. Don’t rely only on an anti-malware shield to keep your computers clean. Recall that even the latest version of a signature database will not have zero-day attack signatures. It is important to periodically scan the contents of your computers to detect any malware that the shields have missed.

The scan process is simple: The anti-malware scanner opens files that have been selected and searches them for malware. The scanner looks for copies of known malware signatures from the signature database in files selected for scanning. This can be a time-consuming process. It is important to carefully plan your scanning schedule and select the most efficient options ...