What technique BEST describes antivirus software that detects viruses by watching anomalous behavior?

The correct answer is D. Heuristic. Heuristic is the technique that best describes antivirus software that detects viruses by watching anomalous behavior. Heuristic is a method of virus detection that analyzes the behavior and characteristics of the program or file, rather than comparing it to a known signature or

Submitted by carter_n· Mar 5, 2026Security Operations

Question

Options

ASignature
BInference
CInduction
DHeuristic

How the community answered

(36 responses)

B
3% (1)
C
3% (1)
D
94% (34)

Explanation

Heuristic is the technique that best describes antivirus software that detects viruses by watching anomalous behavior. Heuristic is a method of virus detection that analyzes the behavior and characteristics of the program or file, rather than comparing it to a known signature or pattern. Heuristic can detect unknown or new viruses that have not been identified or cataloged by the antivirus software. However, heuristic can also generate false positives, as some legitimate programs or files may exhibit suspicious or unusual behavior.

Topics

#antivirus#heuristic analysis#malware detection

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