Antivirus vocabulary, explained plainly for readers in New Zealand

A reference built around words rather than rankings

Most people meet antivirus jargon at an awkward moment: a product page full of terms like "real-time protection", "heuristic engine" or "multi-device licence", or a pop-up in a browser that uses alarming language to push a sale. Neither is a good time to learn what the words mean. This site exists so you can look them up calmly, beforehand or afterwards, in plain English.

The material is arranged by type of word rather than by product. The A to Z glossary is the core of the site and links out to four longer explainers: one on the kinds of malicious software, one on how security software decides what to block, one on phishing and scam vocabulary, and one on the wording of subscriptions, licences and renewals. A sixth page looks at the protection that Windows, macOS, Android and iOS already include, because understanding what you have is a sensible step before paying for anything more.

We do not run laboratory tests, award scores or rank products. Independent test organisations do that work with equipment and methods we do not have, and pretending otherwise would mislead you. What we can do well is explain the language, so that when you read a test report or a vendor's page you can tell what is actually being claimed.

Five pairs of words that are easy to mix up

Much of the confusion in this category comes from terms that sound interchangeable but are not. Getting these five pairs straight makes almost every product description easier to read.

Virus and malware

"Malware" is the umbrella term for any software written to cause harm or act against the owner's interests. A virus is one specific kind, which copies itself into other files. Most harmful software in circulation is not technically a virus at all, yet the word "antivirus" has stuck as the name for the whole product category.

Antivirus and security suite

An antivirus product concentrates on finding and stopping malicious software. A security suite bundles that with other tools, which might include a password manager, a firewall, a VPN or parental controls. The exact contents vary by vendor and by tier, so the name alone tells you little; the feature list for the specific edition is what matters.

Real-time scan and on-demand scan

Real-time (or "on-access") scanning checks files as they are opened, downloaded or run. An on-demand scan is one you start yourself, or schedule, to look through stored files. Products usually do both; the real-time part is what does most of the day-to-day work.

Quarantine and deletion

Quarantine moves a suspicious file somewhere it cannot run, without destroying it, so that a mistaken detection can be undone. Deletion removes it. Quarantine is usually the default because detection is never perfect, which is explained on the detection page.

Licence and subscription

A licence is your permission to use the software, often limited to a number of devices. A subscription is the payment arrangement that keeps that licence active, usually for a fixed term that may renew automatically. Reading both sets of terms tells you what you are paying for and for how long.

Worked example. A product page that says "covers one PC or Mac for 12 months, renews automatically" describes a one-device licence on a yearly subscription with auto-renewal switched on. The subscription terms page lists the questions to ask about each part of that sentence.

Protection your device may already include

Before buying anything, it is worth knowing what your operating system already provides. Microsoft describes Microsoft Defender Antivirus as built into Windows. Apple documents the malware protections in macOS and iOS in its Apple Platform Security guide. Google explains how Google Play Protect checks apps on Android devices.

Whether a paid product adds enough on top of these to be worth the money depends on how you use your devices, how many you have, and which extra features you would actually use. The built-in protection page walks through that decision without assuming the answer.

Your rights when you pay for software in New Zealand

Paid software bought for personal use comes with consumer protections that a vendor's own terms cannot take away. Consumer Protection, part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, explains the guarantees under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the rules against misleading conduct in the Fair Trading Act. The Commerce Commission enforces the Fair Trading Act and publishes guidance at comcom.govt.nz.

In practice this means a product has to match its description, and a seller cannot rely on small print to excuse a misleading headline claim. The subscription page covers how this applies to renewals and refunds.

Where to go if something has already happened

This site explains terms; it cannot look at your device or your accounts. If you have clicked a suspicious link, given details to someone you now doubt, or seen a message demanding payment, these organisations are the right places to start:

• The National Cyber Security Centre's reporting page takes reports of cyber security incidents from individuals and organisations, and its Own Your Online site carries step-by-step guides for households.
• Netsafe, New Zealand's independent online safety organisation, helps with online harm and scams.
• Consumer Protection's Scamwatch describes current scams and where to report them.
• If money is involved, contact your bank directly using the number on your card or its official website.

The scam terms page explains each of these routes in more detail and describes which kinds of problem antivirus software can and cannot help with.