How Do You Deal With Any Quarantined Files, Programs, Or Software?

Antiviruses are an important aspect for anyone with a computer-based system or an internet-enabled device. This is due to both online and offline malware that may pose a risk to your devices and the important information and data they hold. Antiviruses work in many different ways to ensure that your devices are kept safe. One of these ways is through utilizing the quarantine feature, which works to help prevent any threats from running in your devices.

This article will discuss the quarantine feature, through checking how it works.

Let’s take a look!

How do Viruses Work?

Viruses are just like any other program in your computer device, the only difference being the intent behind the virus. Most of the time, viruses harm or harvest data from your computer. They come to either destroy the device or take control of your delicate info for the sake of exploitation by hackers.

Viruses also come with a signature that helps distinguish it from other programs. This is what an antivirus looks for when trying to get rid of a virus.

An antivirus will seek out virus signatures with the same pattern and similarity to the viruses it has previously deleted. If it finds it, then it will use the previous deletion. However, if absent, it may decide on a mode of action or send the information to the parent company for further research on the malware.

One of the main reasons why it is so hard to acquire complete control over malware and viruses is their ability to attach themselves to valid files and programs, using them as a gateway to access your device.

Viruses and malware also come with the capability to shapeshifting dependent on the kind of purpose they want to achieve. You will find that certain files like ransomware will encrypt your files while others like phishing scams will appear legitimate websites and try and con information out of you.

Malware has been known to cause extensive damage to businesses and companies, such as the siphon of $56 million in credit cards, through a point of sale weakness capable of hacker manipulation.

What Does Threat Quarantine Mean- Why Quarantine?

In most cases, the anti-malware software will first get suspicious about a certain file, folder, or program. This is where the quarantine feature comes in most handy as the anti-malware software will move the suspicious folder or file to another secure location.

The Antivirus will then prevent the suspicious folder from running, ensuring it has enough time to monitor the program for viruses and ensures that it is not running and posing a risk to your files and computer devices.

However, if the Antivirus notices a virus directly, it will delete it and only move it to quarantine if it is unable to remove the file.

Also, in quarantining the files, the Antivirus allows the user to check them personally and ensure they are safe. It will also afford the user the chance to either restore the files, folder, or program or delete them.

Types of Malware and Viruses Posing a Threat to your Devices

1. Adware

This is one of the biggest nuisances to your project if you get infected. Adwares are characterized by constant popups of advertisements and websites, which will keep distracting you from your work.

Adwares are relentless, and if you make the mistake of clicking on one of the ads or websites, you only add more adware to your computer.

The Quarantine will come in handy in case of a download that comes with adware, as it will hive the download off to a secure place and prevent them from attacking the computer.

2. Bots

Bots are not entirely bad as they help in many ways, including gaming, contests, and security. However, they are also created to cause havoc for your device and personal information and business data. Hackers have started using bots as botnets, where they enter and provide hackers with a way for accessing your computer for attacks.

As dangerous bots can mask themselves as some useful ones, the quarantine feature will help assess any suspicious activities from a program that may come with a harmful bot.

3. Bugs

A bug is a minor weakness or human error after the completion of creating software or a program. Bugs are the weaknesses hackers look for in software and manipulate them for attacks against these softwares.

We have seen huge losses resulting from bugs in the systems that have seen users lose a lot, including money, personal information, and identity theft

Security bugs are the most dangerous weaknesses that will see hackers acquire access to the software by capitalizing on some security flaws that allow them to have some influence on the software.

4. Ransomware

Ransomware is a dangerous kind of virus aimed at mostly corporates and business entities, out of the value of the information they hold.

Ransomware will encrypt your information and ask for a certain benefit to decrypt it. This means users will be unable to access their information until they pay a certain amount of money to restore their information.

5. Rootkit

This stealth kind of virus will gain access to your device undetected by security devices. If it is installed, it becomes easy for another user to access the computer and modify the device, alter softwares, especially security softwares, or add the computer to a botnet.

Because of how rootkits are made, they are hard to deal with and maybe a source of headache for the user. You will see the computer change in terms of functionality, yet you cannot find the source of the problem.

Quarantine features are important for such things as rootkits, as suspicious acting programs will be moved and carefully assessed to check for rootkits. This will give you the chance to prevent any damage to the computer

6. Spyware

Spyware works through manipulating vulnerabilities of your software to collect data, keystrokes, and monitor activity from your computer.

Apart from this, spyware will also modify security settings, and software ads will interfere with network connections.

Spyware may be hard to identify as it may come attached to a downloaded file, meaning that quarantining will help prevent damage to the computer while offering a valuable opportunity for extra scrutiny of the software.

7. Trojan

This malware disguises itself as a normal file tricking users into downloading it as normal software or file.

It can give hackers access to the device, and users may lose data, get monitored, or get their files modified.

The Antivirus will quarantine files it suspects of having Trojans, and you will have the chance to check out these files and decide whether to delete or restore the file or program.

8. Viruses

One of the most dangerous threats to your computer are viruses, and they come in all manners from the really strong viruses, that may destroy the device, to the weaker ones which will affect certain functions of the computer.

Viruses can spread through attaching themselves to programs and executing their function once the program is started.

Quarantine features come in very handy in this scenario, as they help prevent viruses from being launched through separating and storing them in a secure location.

9. Worms

These are some of the most common types of malware. You may disregard the malware, as it may not be as dangerous as viruses are; however, they also harm your computer devices in several ways.

Most commonly, worms will eat your bandwidth and overload your web servers.

Worms may also come with payloads; these are programs designed to steal data, delete files, and create botnets.

The difference between worms and viruses is their ability to self-replicate instead of viruses, which will require a user to help them multiply through using the softwares they are attached to.

How Do Anti Viruses Work?

Antivirus programs are a powerful tool to help keep your computer safe. Quarantining features are a part of the ways the Antivirus will keep you safe.

To understand the quarantine feature of an antivirus better, it will be great to understand how programs end up on the quarantine list I the first place.

An antivirus is a multi-layered software meant to make it impossible for viruses’ malware and threats to enter the computer system. They monitor the computer, and each with the huge number of vulnerabilities that may exist; ensuring hackers have no way of getting into the device.

For the Antivirus to ensure your device is safe, they will employ a couple of ways for first identifying viruses before deleting them.

The main way the antivirus works is by scanning your system constantly. The antivirus will use many kinds of scans to identify any threats available on your computer, including:

a) On Access Scans

Most antivirus softwares will run in the background, reducing any trouble it may cause the user in the course of their work, while at the same time ensuring that it is constantly working in real time analysis and assessing the device to ensure no risks arise.

How it works is such that, once you open a file or program, the Antivirus will check it for any malware before it launches. To know whether it is a malware or risky software, the Antivirus will scan the program against its database, and in case it finds something similar in both, then the program will be flagged for potentially harmful threats.

Apart from this, antiviruses will also check for files with viruses. This means that once files and folders are downloaded and added to your device, the Antivirus checks them first before you get to have a go.

It is, however, possible to use a file without scanning it. This is a bad idea and is a huge risk for any valuable info and data you may have. Ensure that scans are activated and ready to run at all times.

b) Full System Scans

Another type of scan is a full system scan. This should be done periodically after certain duration of time to ensure the whole computer is in the best possible health.

Full scans mostly have to be activated and will scan the whole computer. Depending on the size of your drives may take a longer or shorter time.

Full system scans are the best option for a newly installed antivirus, as they guarantee the current health of the whole device, giving you the option for formatting the whole system or deleting malware with the Antivirus depending on the extent of the attack.

Also if you have to repair a computer, it would be essential to carry out a full system scan

c) Scheduled Scans

An antivirus works through a scheduled scan where you, as the user, set priorities and the time to carry out the scan. This is a great way to ensure that the scans only take place when the computer is idle.

It is a great way to carry out extensive scans for the whole computer.

d) Virus Definitions

The main reason you have to keep the computer updated is to ensure the Antivirus is aware of the latest viruses. Due to the pace of creation of new viruses in the market, antivirus developers are constantly looking for information as to the latest threats and offer updates with patches for these new risks.

It is why updating your Antivirus is crucial, as the virus definition contains signatures for new malware that have been identified.

These are the signatures it matches programs to tell whether they have been infected with malware.

e) Heuristics

Heuristics are a way for the Antivirus to identify modified types of malware that may behave differently from what the Antivirus is used to.

There are ways in which the Antivirus will use to identify a modified virus, including a program trying to open every EXE. File on the system, and writing a copy of the original program.

The antivirus program will notice this and take appropriate action.

f) False Positives

Occasionally, the Antivirus may identify a valid file or program as malware or risk. This is where the quarantine feature comes in handy, as on such occasions, the program will be stored in a different area and allow the user to ascertain as to the validity of the software.

When antivirus software identifies a program as malware or threat, this is referred to as a false positive.

Options for the Antivirus in the Presence of a Malware Threat

Most Antivirus in the market will have two ways of dealing with any malware it may find, one OS through deleting the malware or quarantining it and awaiting further instructions.

Deleting the Malware

The Antivirus may choose to delete the malware dependent on the instructions it functions under. However, some threats may be too risky to even Quarantine, and removing them is the next best option.

Deleting the malware is great way of ensuring threats don’t take a lot of space on the computer; however, they may end costing you important files and folders, as they may be deleted together with the files they are attaché to.

Should I Delete Files In Quarantine?

Quarantining, as previously stated, is the process of separating a malware or suspicious program into an isolated and secure place to prevent any further damage to the computer.

Unless you want quarantined files deleted, they will be left in the quarantine section.

You will have to instruct the antivirus software the best-preferred options as to whether to delete quarantined files after certain duration of time automatically or whether you will do it manually.

There is always a chance for a system being quarantined as a false positive, and therefore the essence of the importance of Quarantine rather than direct deletion.

Although quarantined files pose no threat to the computer, they will also start taking up space n the computer, plus you never know what may happen once say the Antivirus is deleted.

It is, therefore, important to delete quarantined files once the user has gone through them.

Are All Infected Files Quarantined

Not all antivirus programs detect all threats. The strength of the Antivirus is based on a certain test to see the level of detection an antivirus can achieve. Most leading antiviruses, however, score at 99% or 100% in these tests.

Depending on the strength of the Antivirus, the quarantine feature will be either weak or extremely strong. This means that quarantine features will vary depending on the type of Antivirus they come with.

Conclusion

If given a choice between Quarantine and deleting malware directly, it may be advisable to use the quarantine feature. This is because of the potential to lose more than just the virus if deleted, as it may come attached to software, or an important file.

Quarantine offers the option of assessing the files before deleting them.