Promotional banner image

Ultimate Help Desk

PC performance issues? Home Network Setup needed? Get on-demand IT help 24/7 NEW! Easily regain email account access, restore lost data, and more!

Learn more about Real-Time Protection

Applicable for: Windows

Real-Time Protection controls the scanning and monitoring of your computer. You can use Real-Time Protection to determine what gets scanned and what the scan looks for. You can also determine what happens when a security risk or risk-like activity is encountered.

The options provide constant protection for your computer by checking for viruses and other security risks.

Auto-Protect

Auto-Protect loads into memory and provides constant protection while you work. Auto-Protect checks for viruses and other security risks every time you run programs on your computer. It also checks for viruses when you insert any removable media, access the Internet, or use the document files that you receive or create. It also monitors your computer for any unusual symptoms indicating an active threat.

Keep Auto-Protect turned on at all times to prevent viruses from infecting your computer. Auto-Protect works in the background, without interrupting your work.

Auto-Protect does the following automatically:

  • Detects and helps protect your computer against viruses, such as macro viruses, boot sector viruses, and memory-resident viruses

  • Detects and helps protect your computer against Trojan horses, worms, and other malicious code

  • Checks the files that you download from the Internet; it includes Java Applets and ActiveX controls, to help protect your computer from the viruses

  • Checks for viruses every time to help keep your system safe at all times

  • Checks for viruses when you run programs on your computer, insert any removable media, and modify or access documents

  • Monitors your computer for any unusual symptoms that might indicate an active virus

  • Generates a report of Real-Time Protection components

Behavioral Protection

Behavioral Protection provides real-time protection against threats and proactively detects unknown security risks on your computer. Behavioral Protection identifies emerging threats based on the behavior of applications.

Need more help?

DocID: v20240108175807418
Last modified: 06/17/2025

Was this article helpful?

Download
Manage my account
Buy & renew
Contact us
Community
Support scams
Norton rescue tools
Think you have virus?
Problem launching on Windows