What type of software helps protect against malicious software and viruses?

Antivirus software is specifically designed to detect, prevent, and remove malicious software, commonly known as malware. This includes viruses, worms, trojans, and other harmful programs that can compromise computer systems and data. The primary function of antivirus software is to identify suspicious patterns and behaviors on a computer, provide real-time protection, and regularly update its virus definitions to defend against new threats.

Backup software, on the other hand, is focused on creating copies of data to restore in case of data loss, while database management software is used for creating and managing databases, not for protection against malware. File compression software reduces the size of files for storage or transmission, which does not relate to security against malicious programs. Thus, antivirus software is the correct answer as it serves a critical role in cybersecurity by safeguarding systems from potential harm caused by malware.