Which categories are used for antivirus detection?

The categories used for antivirus detection are primarily based on signature and heuristics. Signature-based detection involves scanning for known patterns of malicious code, or "signatures," that antivirus software has in its database. This method is highly effective for identifying previously identified malware but may struggle with new, never-before-seen threats.

Heuristic detection, on the other hand, goes a step further by analyzing the behavior and characteristics of programs to identify potential malware. This method is more proactive, allowing antivirus solutions to flag suspicious activities or unknown files based on their behavior rather than relying solely on a database of known threats.

Using these two categories enhances the effectiveness of antivirus programs in protecting systems from a wide array of threats, both known and unknown. While other options may describe aspects of antivirus operations or other types of data analysis, they do not capture the primary detection methodologies recognized in the field of cybersecurity.