Most antivirus products fail, not because they cannot detect viruses, but because they are too difficult to use and too difficult to manage. In 1998 nearly all the organizations surveyed reported a computer virus incident. This increase in virus prevalence is primarily attributable to two influences the increased popularity of online services and particularly the Internet, and the rise of macro viruses. Increased network connectivity makes rapid distribution of viruses and other malware easy. Macro viruses, on the other hand, grew in prominence rapidly because they are embedded in files that traditionally are considered to be just data .
Few users apply their usual concerns about malicious code to data files.
This effect has been compounded by the fact that, at least in the corporate world, such data files are naturally exchanged with much greater frequency than executable and script files. With a little knowledge and the right software, viruses and possible damage related to viruses can be avoided. It is critical that antivirus software provide both these features, especially real-time protection. Some antivirus software also uses advanced techniques to identify potential viruses and check memory and system files for viruses. The total number of viruses an antivirus software program can detect is known as its detection rate.