What Is False-Positive Software?
False positives and false negatives are errors that occur when antivirus software indicates the presence of a nonexistent virus or fails to detect a virus that is present. A number of problems can result from such errors occurring. These problems vary depending on the type of error that has occurred.
Other People Are Reading
-
False Positives and Negatives
-
The probability of a false positive or false negative occurring depends largely on the type of antivirus software being used. Certain types of antivirus software use virus definition files -- those that contain patterns used to identify specific viruses -- to search for and locate viruses. These types are considerably less likely to generate false positives and negatives than antivirus software that simply searches for behavior in your computer that appears virus-like.
Antivirus Software
-
Antivirus software is a type of software developed to protect computers from a variety of viruses. The software works by performing occasional searches of your computer's hard drive looking for signs of viruses or virus-like activity. It then informs you of any viruses found and gives you the option to remove them. An auto-update feature is available with most antivirus programs that provides profiles for new viruses as they're discovered.
-
Virus
-
Antivirus software was developed to counteract the effects of viruses. A computer virus is a malicious program that runs without your knowledge or permission. Viruses are generally uploaded to your computer covertly with the intent of causing damage or simply interrupting normal system operation. All viruses are manmade and many are relatively simple to produce. A basic virus can be nothing more than a piece of code that replicates itself over and over until all your available memory is used up.
Problems
-
Several problems can result from numerous false positives and negatives. If your antivirus software reports a high number of false positives, it's possible that you will overlook a legitimate virus by assuming that it's just another false positive. If your software reports false negatives, you may be allowing potentially dangerous viruses to run unchecked. In these cases, you may only become aware of the false negative if and when the virus manifests itself in a noticeable way.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
