How Does a Cloud Antivirus Work?

A new breed of anti-virus software is popping up around the internet, dubbed 'Cloud Anti-Virus' it promises to protect your computer in the same way your current AV software does, and at the same time deliver a reduction in resource hogging. Traditionally AV software is installed on a computer scans files as they stored in physical memory, as they are accessed and during scheduled scanning windows. The anti-virus will decide weather the file or program could be harmful using it's own detection algorithms, and by comparing it with a database of malicious software signatures - normally downloaded from the anti-virus software manufacture. This process of scanning and inspecting files each time they are accessed can become a problematic drain on resources, slowing a computers performance, and often hinders the productivity of the end user. At the time of writing there seems to be a couple of different types of Cloud anti virus, but the basic principle behind them is the same. They endeavor to take as much of the processing and data downloading required to protect a computer away from the computer it's self. In a cloud anti virus environment incoming files are quickly analyzed by remote computers before being opened or used on to your machine. These remote computers are completely dedicated to this task, and utilizing VM technology allows them to run multiple detection processes on a a single incoming file in parallel. This approach allows for a reduction in resource requirements for the end user and additionally can mean greater protection, which is vital in a time where traditional AV software is being criticized for poor performance. Discussion: Do you think cloud antivirus systems will ever replace traditional antivirus software? Cloud Computing Chat