Detection: Antivirus software continuously scans files and programs on a computer system to detect any suspicious or malicious code. It employs a variety of detection techniques, such as signature-based detection, heuristic analysis, behavioral analysis, and machine learning algorithms to identify known and unknown threats.

Prevention: Once a threat is detected, antivirus software takes action to prevent it from causing harm to the system. This may involve quarantining or deleting infected files, blocking malicious websites, or stopping malicious processes from executing.

Real-time Protection: Many antivirus programs provide real-time protection by monitoring system activities in the background. They actively scan files as they are accessed, downloaded, or executed to intercept and neutralize any threats before they can cause damage.

Updates: Antivirus software relies on regular updates to stay effective against evolving threats. These updates include new virus definitions, malware signatures, and software patches to address vulnerabilities in the antivirus program itself.

Scanning Options: Antivirus software typically offers different scanning options, including full system scans, quick scans, and custom scans. Users can schedule scans to run automatically at specified intervals to ensure comprehensive protection.

Firewall Integration: Many antivirus suites include firewall functionality to monitor network traffic and prevent unauthorized access to the system. Firewalls act as an additional layer of defense against network-based attacks.

Email Protection: Antivirus software often includes email scanning capabilities to inspect incoming and outgoing emails for malicious attachments or links. This helps prevent the spread of malware through email-based attacks, such as phishing and spear-phishing.

Browser Protection: Some antivirus programs offer browser extensions or plugins to protect users while they browse the internet. These tools can block malicious websites, warn users about potentially harmful links, and safeguard against online threats like drive-by downloads and malicious scripts.