Final answer:
The first generation of anti-virus software utilized signature-based detection, which became less effective as viruses evolved. Subsequent advancements in anti-virus technology include heuristic-based, behavior-based, and cloud-based detection methods to combat increasingly sophisticated viruses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first generation of anti-virus software relied heavily on signature-based detection, which involves identifying known malware by comparing code within a program to a database of known malware signatures. Over time, as viruses evolved, this method proved to be less effective against new unknown viruses, which led to the development of new detection methods.
Heuristic-based detection attempts to identify new viruses or new variants of existing viruses by looking for suspicious behavior or structures that are similar to known viruses. Behavior-based detection goes a step further by analyzing the behavior of programs in real-time to detect malware based on actions rather than appearance. Lastly, cloud-based detection leverages cloud technology to analyze and identify threats by accessing a more comprehensive database of virus signatures and heuristic rules, providing more up-to-date protection.
The evolution of anti-virus technology mirrors the evolution of viruses themselves, which develop new strategies to bypass detection and infect host systems. As viruses become more complex, anti-virus solutions must also grow more sophisticated to provide effective defense mechanisms.