Learn more about Antivirus settings

Automatic Protection

The Boot Time Protection option in the Automatic Protection tab provides an enhanced security level from the time you start your computer. This option ensures better security by running all the necessary components that are required for computer protection as soon as you start your computer.

The Real Time Protection settings in the Automatic Protection tab determine what gets scanned and what the scan looks for.

Your options are:

• Auto-Protect

  Auto-Protect loads into memory when Windows starts, providing constant protection while you work. It checks for security risks every time that you use software programs on your computer, insert removable media, access the Internet, or use document files. It also monitors your computer for any unusual symptoms that may indicate an active threat.

  You can use the Auto-Protect options to customize the protection of your computer.

• Behavioral Protection

  Behavioral Protection provides you with real-time protection against threats by proactively detecting unknown security risks on your computer.

Scans and Risks

Scans and Risks settings let you customize the scans that Norton performs on your computer.

Your options are:

• Computer Scans

  Computer Scans allows you to configure different types of scans to detect and prevent any virus infection on your computer. The scans are Compressed File Scan, Rootkits and Stealth Items Scan, Tracking Cookies Scan, Full Scan, Heuristic Protection, and Network Drives Scan.

• Protected Ports

  The Protected Ports option protects the POP3 and SMTP ports of your email program.

  You can use this option to manually configure your POP3 and SMTP email ports for email protection. If the SMTP and POP3 port numbers that your Internet service provider (ISP) has provided for your email program is different from the default SMTP and POP3 port numbers, you must configure Norton to protect the ports.

• Email Antivirus Scan

  Email Antivirus Scan protects you from the threats that are sent or received in email attachments.

  You can use this option to define how Norton should behave when it scans email messages. Based on the options you choose, Norton automatically scans the email messages that you send or receive.

• Exclusions / Low Risks

  Exclusions options specify the items such as folders, files, and drives that you exclude from scans. Scans, signatures, and low-risk items are some items that you can exclude from scanning.

  Exclusions options also let you choose which categories of risks you want Norton to detect.

  Exclusions reduce your level of protection and should be used only if you have a specific need.

Data Protector

Data Protector protects your PC from malicious processes that intend to destabilize your PC, corrupt and/or steal your data, and propagate the malicious nature to other good processes.

It uses Norton reputation technology to identify a process as safe, malicious, or unknown. Based on the identification, it blocks malicious processes from performing any action on your PC. By default, Data Protector is turned on and protects preset folders and extensions. Depending on your situation, you can add more folders and/or extensions and can also exclude processes for scanning and protection.

Script Control

Script Control helps protect you from malware that you download or receive as attachments in phishing emails. It removes suspicious scripts from files and sanitizes the files.

Although the primary objective of scripts is to improve the document experience, cybercriminals can use them in phishing attempts to sneak malware on your computer. Scripts are generally not important to the function of a document and many software programs disable them by default. You can set Norton to exclude specific files from Script Control if you are confident that they do not contain malicious content.

Updates

Norton protects your computer from vulnerabilities through the latest program and definition updates.

Your options are:

• Updates

  Norton protects your computer from vulnerabilities through the latest program and definition updates. Definition updates contain the information that allows Norton recognize and alert you to the presence of a specific virus or security threat.

  You can use the options under Updates to obtain the latest virus definitions through definition updates and keep your computer secure from the latest security threats.

• Apply updates only on Reboot

  If you turn this option On, updates are applied only when the computer is restarted.