What is the primary function of anti-virus software?

The primary function of anti-virus software is to scan for and remove malware. This software is designed to detect, quarantine, and eliminate malicious software that can affect a computer system’s performance, compromise data integrity, or facilitate unauthorized access to sensitive information. By regularly scanning files and active processes, anti-virus solutions help ensure that harmful programs such as viruses, trojans, ransomware, and worms are identified and dealt with before they can cause significant damage.

While preventing data leaks, enhancing network speed, and collecting usage metrics are important aspects of cybersecurity and system performance, they are not the core purpose of anti-virus software. The software's main objective is to safeguard systems from malicious threats, which underlines the critical role anti-virus programs play in maintaining a secure computing environment.