Antivirus MCQs

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: November 27, 2024

1. Antivirus is a software that is capable of ____ .
a) Enhance computer efficiency
b) Prevent hardware failures
c) identify and eliminate viruses and malicious software
d) Manage network connections

Answer: c) identify and eliminate viruses and malicious software

2. If a computer is infected with a virus, then it’s recommended that you need to quickly ___.
a) Disconnect from the internet
b) Run a reputable antivirus scan
c) Ignore the issue and continuing normal activities
d) None of these

Answer: b) Run a reputable antivirus scan

3. Social engineering attack can be described as ____.
a) Installing antivirus software
b) Using a strong password
c) Phishing for sensitive information
d) Updating the operating system

Answer: c) Phishing for sensitive information

4. Which of the following is a signature-based detection strategy in antiviruses?
a) Analyzing behavior patterns
b) Identifying distinctive attributes of recognized viruses
c) Predicting future virus threats
d) Blocking all incoming network traffic

Answer: b) Identifying distinctive attributes of recognized viruses

5. A malware that can collect information about a user’s online activities without consent is called __.
a) Adware
b) Spyware
c) Worm
d) Rootkit

Answer: b) Spyware

6. Which term relates to a false positive in antivirus detection?
a) Incorrect identification of a safe file as dangerous
b) Correct identification of a malicious file
c) Identifying a virus with zero-day protection
d) A feature in the antivirus program

Answer: a) Incorrect identification of a safe file as dangerous

7. What does a macro virus primarily target?
a) Computer memory
b) Document files containing macros
c) Internet browsers
d) Operating system files

Answer: b) Document files containing macros

8. Select the common symptom of a computer virus infection.
a) faulty RAM
b) Expanded storage capacity
c) Unexpected system crashes or freezes
d) Improved internet browsing performance

Answer: c) Unexpected system crashes or freezes

9. A program that appears legitimate but performs malicious activities in the background of a running PC is called _____.
a) Worm
b) Trojan horse
c) Adware
d) Ransomware

Answer: b) Trojan horse

10. Why firewall feature is in windows?
a) Detecting and removing viruses
b) Encrypting files
c) Blocking unauthorized access to a network
d) Enhancing internet browsing speed

Answer: c) Blocking unauthorized access to a network

11. What is the primary function of an intrusion detection system (IDS)?
a) Preventing virus infections
b) Identifying and responding to potential security threats
c) Encrypting sensitive data
d) Enhancing internet browsing speed

Answer: b) Identifying and responding to potential security threats

12. What is the purpose of a firewall in the context of computer security?
a) Preventing physical theft of computers
b) Blocking unauthorized access to a network
c) Enhancing computer graphics performance
d) Increasing internet connection speed

Answer: b) Blocking unauthorized access to a network

13. Which of the following exemplifies a feature of antiviral protection that operates in real-time?
a) Regularly scheduled scans on daily, weekly or monthly basis
b) On-demand manual scans
c) Continuous monitoring for active threats
d) Automatic file encryption

Answer: c) Continuous monitoring for active threats

14. What is the term for a virus that spreads by attaching itself to executable files?
a) Adware
b) File-infector virus
c) Spyware
d) Rootkit

Answer: b) File-infector virus

15. A botnet consists of ______.
a) A network of interconnected computers used for legitimate purposes
b) A group of cybersecurity experts
c) Many compromised computers controlled by a central server for malicious activities
d) A type of antivirus software

Answer: c) Many compromised computers controlled by a central server for malicious activities

16. Why do attackers put a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack on websites?
a) Encrypting sensitive information
b) Gaining unauthorized access to a system
c) Overloading a website or network to make it unavailable
d) Deleting files on a targeted computer

Answer: c) Overloading a website or network to make it unavailable

17. How can free antivirus software be bad?
a) Limited protection features from attacks compared to paid versions
b) Higher likelihood of causing system crashes
c) Better customer support options
d) Automatic renewal of subscription fees

Answer: a) Limited protection features from attacks compared to paid versions

18. What is the purpose of the “sandbox” feature in some advanced antivirus programs?
a) Blocking specific websites
b) Isolating and running suspicious files in a secure environment
c) Automatically deleting infected files
d) Encrypting files on the computer

Answer: b) Isolating and running suspicious files in a secure environment

19. Which security measure involves the use of a unique personal attribute, such as a fingerprint or iris scan, for authentication?
a) Password protection
b) Two-factor authentication
c) Biometric authentication
d) Captcha verification

Answer: c) Biometric authentication

20. What is the purpose of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) in computer security?
a) Blocking internet access
b) Enhancing computer performance
c) Providing a secure and encrypted connection over the internet
d) Automatically updating antivirus definitions

Answer: c) Providing a secure and encrypted connection over the internet

21. What is the term for the practice of using one password for multiple accounts?
a) Secure password management
b) Two-factor authentication
c) Credential stuffing
d) Biometric authentication

Answer: c) Credential stuffing

22. If you are working on the internet, then what will be a common precaution against phishing attacks?
a) Clicking on links in unsolicited emails or from the spam folder
b) Verifying the authenticity of emails before clicking on links or providing information
c) Sharing sensitive information on social media
d) Disabling antivirus software

Answer: b) Verifying the authenticity of emails before clicking on links or providing information

23. How can a Trojan horse virus attack?
a) Deleting system files
b) Replicating itself across the network
c) Providing unauthorized access to a user’s system
d) Encrypting files and demanding ransom

Answer: c) Providing unauthorized access to a user’s system

24. Select the correct statements regarding a phishing attack?
a) It is a type of antivirus software.
b) It involves disguising malicious software as legitimate.
c) It aims to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information.
d) It only targets hardware components.

Answer: c) It aims to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information.

25. What does the term “white hat” refer to in the context of computer security?
a) Malicious hackers
b) Ethical or legal hackers who use their skills for constructive purposes
c) Cybercriminals who exploit security vulnerabilities
d) A type of malware

Answer: b) Ethical or legal hackers who use their skills for constructive purposes

26. Which of the following is a common security practice for creating strong passwords?
a) Using easily guessable information, such as birthdays or names
b) Reusing the same password for multiple accounts
c) Including a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols
d) Setting short passwords with only letters

Answer: c) Including a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols

27. What is the primary function of antivirus software?
a) Enhancing computer performance
b) Encrypting files for security
c) Detecting and removing malicious software
d) Managing network connections

Answer: c) Detecting and removing malicious software

28. Which of the following is a common method used by antivirus software to detect viruses?
a) Predicting future threats
b) Identifying unique characteristics of known viruses
c) Encrypting files on the computer
d) Blocking internet access

Answer: b) Identifying unique characteristics of known viruses

29. What is the purpose of real-time scanning in antivirus software?
a) Scanning files only when manually initiated by the user
b) Scanning files at a scheduled time each day
c) Continuously monitoring and scanning files as they are accessed or modified
d) Scanning only specific file types

Answer: c) Continuously monitoring and scanning files as they are accessed or modified

30. Which feature in antivirus software allows users to schedule regular scans of their computer?
a) Real-time protection
b) Manual scanning
c) Scheduled scanning
d) On-demand protection

Answer: c) Scheduled scanning

31. Which of the following best describes antivirus quarantine?
a) Deleting infected files
b) Isolating and containing infected files
c) Encrypting files to prevent infection
d) Automatically repairing infected files

Answer: b) Isolating and containing infected files

32. What does the term “quarantine” mean in the context of antivirus software?
a) A secure location for storing backups
b) Isolating and containing infected files to prevent them from causing harm
c) Encrypting files for added security
d) The process of removing viruses from the computer

Answer: b) Isolating and containing infected files to prevent them from causing harm

33. Which action is likely to occur when a computer is infected with ransomware?
a) The computer performs faster
b) Files become encrypted and inaccessible until a ransom is paid
c) Antivirus software automatically removes the ransomware
d) The operating system crashes instantly

Answer: b) Files become encrypted and inaccessible until a ransom is paid

34. What is a key feature of a zero-day attack?
a) It targets known vulnerabilities with patches already available
b) It occurs when a vulnerability is discovered and exploited before a fix is available
c) It only affects outdated antivirus software
d) It is caused by human error

Answer: b) It occurs when a vulnerability is discovered and exploited before a fix is available

35. How do malicious hackers often bypass antivirus detection systems?
a) By exploiting known software bugs
b) By using zero-day exploits or encrypting their code
c) By using public Wi-Fi networks
d) By encrypting sensitive data

Answer: b) By using zero-day exploits or encrypting their code

36. What is a distinguishing feature of spyware?
a) It displays unwanted advertisements
b) It collects sensitive information about the user without consent
c) It makes the system run slower
d) It replicates itself across the system

Answer: b) It collects sensitive information about the user without consent

37. Which action should be taken if an antivirus program detects a potential threat?
a) Ignoring the warning message
b) Ignoring the alert and continuing with normal activities
c) Allowing the antivirus to clean or quarantine the infected file
d) Restarting the computer immediately

Answer: c) Allowing the antivirus to clean or quarantine the infected file

38. Which of the following is an example of social engineering?
a) Exploiting a software bug
b) Tricking a user into revealing their password
c) Using encryption to secure data
d) Writing malicious code

Answer: b) Tricking a user into revealing their password

39. Which antivirus detection method uses the current behavior of a file or program to determine if it is malicious?
a) Signature-based detection
b) Heuristic-based detection
c) Behavior-based detection
d) File-based detection

Answer: c) Behavior-based detection

40. What is a botnet primarily used for?
a) Encrypting data
b) Distributing malware
c) Sending unsolicited emails or performing DDoS attacks
d) Recovering lost data

Answer: c) Sending unsolicited emails or performing DDoS attacks

41. What does antivirus software’s “real-time protection” feature do?
a) Scans files only when requested
b) Blocks malicious software in real time as it attempts to infect the system
c) Automatically updates virus definitions every hour
d) Runs daily scheduled scans

Answer: b) Blocks malicious software in real time as it attempts to infect the system

42. Which type of virus attaches itself to the boot sector of a storage device?
a) File-infecting virus
b) Boot sector virus
c) Worm
d) Macro virus

Answer: b) Boot sector virus

43. What does a “worm” virus do?
a) It hides in files and is activated by user actions
b) It spreads autonomously across a network or the internet
c) It infects hardware components
d) It causes a computer to shut down repeatedly

Answer: b) It spreads autonomously across a network or the internet

44. The term “firewall” refers to _____.
a) A virus scanner
b) A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic
c) A software that manages file permissions
d) A feature of an operating system

Answer: b) A network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic