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Symbiont. The word you're looking for is symbiont, not parasite. A symbiont lives in harmony with the host, exchanging something in exchange for the resource it

Symbiont. The word you're looking for is symbiont, not parasite. A symbiont lives in harmony with the host, exchanging something in exchange for the resource it consumes (in this case protection). A parasite just takes, and gives nothing back to the host. (Of course, let's ignore the obvious joke about some AV solutions like Symantec.)

cwyers 9y ago
Given your definitions, I'm pretty sure commercial AV is just parasites.
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  Yeah, the distinction between a symbiont and a parasite is mostly of degree, not kind, and AV software these days is increasingly being found on the blurry line between the two.