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What action should be taken if an antivirus software detects a virus?
Follow the softwareтАЩs instructions to quarantine or remove the virus.
Ignore the warning and continue using the computer.
Delete the infected files immediately.
Perform a system backup before taking any action.
Follow the softwareтАЩs instructions to quarantine or remove the virus.
When an antivirus software detects a malicious program, the most effective and secure action is to follow the software's automated recommendation to quarantine or remove the file. Quarantine isolates the threat in a secure, encrypted folder to prevent it from interacting with the operating system while maintaining the integrity of the original file for potential restoration.
When an antivirus software detects a malicious program, the most effective and secure action is to follow the software's automated recommendation to quarantine or remove the file. Quarantine isolates the threat in a secure, encrypted folder to prevent it from interacting with the operating system while maintaining the integrity of the original file for potential restoration.
Think of a quarantine folder as a high-security isolation room in a hospital; it keeps a patient (the virus) away from the rest of the healthy population to prevent the spread of infection while keeping them safe for examination.
Q-R-A: Quarantine, Remove, Analyze.
TriskтАЛ=PthreatтАЛ├ЧVvulnerabilityтАЛ тАФ where TriskтАЛ is the total system risk, PthreatтАЛ is the probability of a virus attack, and VvulnerabilityтАЛ is the system exposure.
Antivirus software utilizes signature-based detection and heuristic analysis to identify malicious code. When a virus signature is identified, the program moves the target object into a protected environment (Quarantine) where access to the code is restricted by specific file permissions, effectively nullifying its ability to execute or spread to other system sectors. This ensures that if the file is a false positive, it can be safely recovered.
Quarantine is a reversible action that mitigates immediate threats.
Heuristic analysis looks for suspicious patterns in program behavior rather than just matching file signatures.
Immediate deletion can sometimes corrupt critical system files if the detection is a 'False Positive'.
Minimizes downtime and prevents data loss.
Provides a safety buffer for false detections.
Limits lateral movement of malware within a network.
Quarantined files still occupy disk space.
False positives can temporarily disrupt normal software functionality.
Real-time protection in Operating Systems.
Network traffic filtering in corporate environments.
False positive: A situation where legitimate software is incorrectly flagged as malicious.
Option B is dangerous as it allows the virus to potentially exfiltrate data or corrupt system files. Option C is risky because manual deletion of system-critical files can destabilize the OS.
A is correct тАФ Following the software's protocol ensures the virus is isolated (quarantined) or purged safely without compromising system stability.
In competitive exams, always prioritize 'System-Recommended' actions over manual intervention when dealing with security protocols to avoid unintended damage to system registries.