Anti-Virus heuristics

[GimpTG]

There is a option on my Anti-Virus software (AVG) that says "Use Heuristics". What is/are heuristics? Is it better to run Heuristics?

Thanks

 

[DaveSimmons]

A heuristic is a "rule of thumb," something that works often but isn't 100% reliable and/or can't be proven correct.

Turning them on might catch a mutated or self-modifying virus than the fixed signatures can't catch, but might also give you false positives from normal code snippets that just look a bit like a virus signature.

I don't use AVG myself, so someone else will need to tell you the effect of turning them on in actual use, though Google and/or AVG's help/forums (if any) would give an answer too.

 

[m0ti]

I use 'em. Can't say I've had any false positives yet, though I don't think they've caught anything either.

 

[VBboy]

DaveSimmons is the author of the "Dancing Dave Simmons" polymorphic degenerative virus, so he knows what he's talking about 🙂

J/k. I turn that option off because it tends to take much longer with it. I don't even scan for viruses unless some stuff starts crashing..