a-squared Guard Settings

Activate the option "Enable background guard on system startup" if the background guard shall be activated automatically. Activating this option is strongly recommended.

OnExecution Scan

The background guard checks every program file you start before it becomes active with the signature scanner. If a Malware file is started you come by a warning message immediately that allows you to halt a further execution of the application.

Activate the option " Alert Riskware" if the background guard shall also announce Riskware programs. Beside explicit bad Malware categories like trojan horses, worms or dialer a-squared also detects programs which could be an attack tool.Thereunder are chat programs, server programs, observation tools and downloader. All these programs are rated as Riskware.

Activate the option "Alert unknown Malware" if the background guard also shall announce programs detected by heuristics. A heuristic scan can't reach a decision in most instances whether a file really is Malware or not. So heuristic warning messages should always be verified.

Malware-IDS

The Malware-IDS is the behavior analysis that the a-squared background guard uses to announce unsafe activities of programs immediately.

Activate the option "Activate intelligent false alerts reduction" to minimize wrongly rating of good-natured programs as Malware. Due to the fact that the behavior of good-natured programs often overlap with the behavior of Malware false alert messages are frequently displayed. The false alerts reduction abates the number of the announced good-natured programs. But that reduces also the protection system because Malware possibly could be overlooked. However the rate is so marginal that no Malware was sighted which could sidestep the protection system so far.

Activate the option "Activate paranoid mode" for substantial more annunciation of suspect behavior which is just unsafe in certain circumstances. This option is just adapted for pros. Please note that the paranoid mode takes up considerable more system resources and so the overall performance of the computer could be impaired. The effective detection rate of dangerous Malware is just improved marginally with this option.

Cookie monitoring

Activate this option to enable alerts of TrackingCookies (not all cookies, but cookies from advertising networks). If the option "Block TrackingCookies automatically" is activated, you will not see any alert windows as the cookies are blocked automatically.

Explorer integration

If this option is enabled, you can scan files and folders using a right click directly. At the context menu you will see a new menu item "Scan with a-squared", which starts the scanner and scans the selected files or folders immediately.