How does antivirus detect emerging malware and threats?

In the past, security tools relied on manually collected malware definitions to protect against different types of malware, such as viruses, ransomware, and spyware, which were discovered by accident. As the nature and sophistication of threats have increased, industry-leading antivirus software, such as McAfee Total Protection, has evolved rapidly to stay ahead of cybercriminals. McAfee uses strategies like behavioral detection and machine learning to ensure that all known malware, even zero-day digital threats (new, never-before-seen threats), are detected, isolated, and eliminated to keep you safe online.