It builds upon Windows Defender by offering both real-time protection and on-demand scanning for all types of malware.

So I'm thinking of turning off the scheduled scans and relying instead on the real-time protection, which presumably works through hooks in a file system.

Symantec Anti-Virus, for instance, categorizes spyware programs as "extended threats" and now offers real-time protection against these threats.

Sophisticated defense systems should be wide-area, real-time protection, with control systems that are alerted and guided by sensing technologies.

MSE provides real-time protection, constantly monitoring activities on the computer and scanning new files as they are downloaded or created.

The disadvantage is that it does not provide real-time protection, therefore an infected computer would have to be restarted in order to remove malware.

Microsoft has always recommended that its users use real-time antimalware protection, but the release by the end of this year will mark the company's first free solution.

Forrester refers to this category as "database auditing and real-time protection".

It also features real-time protection, automatic updates, and other privacy features.

It tracks over 350 behavioral patterns and provides real-time protection using Sophos Up2Date.