ITPEC IP April 2020 Question 45

Keeping the virus definition file up to date — anti-virus software recognizes malware by the patterns in its definition file, so it can only catch what the file already describes.

New malware appears every day. The vendor adds its signature to the definition (pattern) file, and a PC whose file is out of date cannot detect malware found since the last update. Updating the definitions automatically, together with the OS and application patches, is the basic measure against harmful software.

Answer (b)

Why not others:

• •(a) — a 64-bit OS can address more memory; malware for 64-bit systems exists, so the word size protects nothing
• •(c) — defragmentation rearranges the scattered blocks of files on the disk so they are read faster; it does not detect or remove malware
• •(d) — compression only reduces a file's size; a compressed file can still contain malware, and packing is even used to slip past scanners

Key rule: Signature-based anti-virus software is only as good as its latest definition file, so keep the definitions, the OS and the applications updated.

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