The primary function of antivirus software is to detect, prevent, and remove malware. By constantly monitoring the system for suspicious activity and known malware signatures, it helps defend against potential threats. It may not, however, always encrypt data or information, which is more commonly a role of encryption software. Antivirus software does not optimize system performance as its core function—although some packages come with optimization tools, that's not the main purpose. Additionally, antivirus does not provide backups, which is the role of backup software or services.
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