Real-time protection
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Real-time protection, background guard, resident shield, autoprotect, and other synonyms refer to the automatic protection provided by most antivirus, anti-spyware, and other antimalware programs, which is arguably their most important feature. This monitors computer systems for suspicious activity such as computer viruses , spyware, adware, and other malicious objects in 'real-time', in other words while the data is coming into the computer (for example when inserting a CD, opening an email, or surfing the web). Usually, this is done by analysing the data before it enters the computer. In fact, it also means the analysis of all data in files that the user attempts to access, even if these files are already on the computer. This means analysis of such a file before it is loaded into the computer's active memory.[1] It is used in contrast to the expression "on-demad scan" or similar expressions that mean a scan of part or all of a computer that is activated by the user.
Even free antivirus programs nowadays usually have real-time protection, but it is often only in the pay versions (often called "pro") of other antimalware programs.
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[edit] Detection
Real-time protection continuously monitors the user's system by (in the background) scanning all incoming files for malicious software. When .exe files, spyware, or other parasites are detected, they are blocked and a pop-up asks for the user's consent to allow the object access to the system, much like a firewall does. Users can either allow or remove the object, which may lead to people allowing malicious software to enter the system.
[edit] List of free antivirus programs with real-time protection
[edit] List of free antispyware programs with real-time protection
- Spybot Search & Destroy (reduced functionality called "TeaTimer")
- SpywareGuard (only active against browser hijacking, spyware definitions not maintained since January 2004) [1]
- Spyware Terminator[2] (see this discussion for details on its trustworthiness)
- Windows Defender
