What Is Antivirus Software, How Does It Work, And Why Does It Still Matter?
ESET, Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
Learn what antivirus software is, how modern antivirus works, what threats it blocks, and why it still matters.
Antivirus software has been around in some form or other since the early 1970s. But as threats have changed, it has been forced to evolve. That's why the sophisticated, multi-layered solutions on offer today bear little resemblance to the simple, signature-based software of old.
Yet we can still trace a clear line back in time from one to the other. Although there are many free and bundled solutions on the market today, users wanting to maximize protection need to find third-party software they trust. Read on to learn what antivirus does, where it came from, and what to look for in a modern solution.