Heuristic virus definition

Malware is called “heuristic” because of the method antivirus software uses to discover viruses. The software checks whether the files or code behaves suspiciously and then flags them as potentially dangerous. The process is called a heuristic analysis, and it allows modern antivirus software to detect new kinds of malware before they can damage your device.

Heuristic virus detection

Heuristic virus detection checks whether a suspicious program:

• Acts like known malware.
• Tries to modify OS files.
• Won’t close after performing its task.
• Tries to write to the disk.

How to avoid heuristic viruses

• Be mindful of phishing, and don’t click on suspicious links.
• Always update your software.
• Use NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature to scan your downloaded files for malware.
• Never download files from unknown sources.

Further reading