What is Real-Time Scanning?

When an infection begins within a website, the clock starts ticking. How fast you can patch it determines whether or not it becomes a full-scale problem requiring full website deletion and uploading clean backup copies, or if things can keep operating normally without anyone being the wiser there was ever a threat. Enter Patchman’s real-time scanning, and the solution you might not yet be aware of, and one that hosting providers need in order to stop problems before they have a chance to gain footing.

Patchman Real-Time Scanning

SiteLock’s Patchman program is known for thorough scanning capabilities and helping hosts stop abuse before it begins, and it is expanding its coverage. The Patchman program, which was launched in 2014, was developed with the goal of securing CMS applications at the hosting provider level to protect customers who did not update their applications in a timely manner.

Until recently, the program had been providing periodic (nightly) scans. Now, the program has been expanded to feature real time scanning. But what is real-time scanning, and why is it so helpful to website owners?

Understanding The Importance Of Real-Time Scanning

A website that becomes infected can quickly witness that infection spread rapidly. As the infection spreads, the entire site can be abused along with any user that is visiting it while it’s infected. Depending on the nature of the problem, these effects can be disastrous, which is why acting immediately to resolve issues is critical to the overall health of the website.

Real-time scanning, just like it sounds, scans files for changes in real-time, as they occur. Gone are the days of relying on periodic scans, even if they are automatic, to detect changes on the hosting file system. Patchman real-time scanning interfaces with the Linux Audit Framework to allow the Patchman agent to detect changes to files as they occur, evaluate whether the destination file state is malicious, and take immediate action if required.

Why Patchman Implemented Real-Time Scanning

We wanted to provide hosting providers with a means to stop threats in their tracks and ensure the highest level of protection to their customers websites. With our program, malware is cleaned before it has time to act, which also helps prevent infected files from being downloaded and/or from starting to cause problems. The truth is by the time a periodic scan is run, the damage could already be done.

Thanks to this real-time scanning update, files are checked precisely when it matters most, including when they are created or changed. As a result, Patchman can find and root out malware upon its creation quicker than ever before, leaving no window for abuse to occur. It doesn't matter how the file ends up on the website or how it’s delivered - whether it's FTP or uploaded through a website vulnerability, or even a zero-day vulnerability, Patchman will catch and eliminate it. So, what is real-time scanning? It’s an early detection, warning, and elimination system to help protect websites against threats.

Bottom Line - Patchman Real-Time Scanning Is Essential To Server And Website Security

Real-time scanning is available now in Patchman COVERAGE + CLEAN, making it the most powerful security solution available to hosting providers looking to maximize automated proactive server and website security through preventative patching and powerful, real-time malware remediation.

For more information on Patchman COVERAGE + CLEAN and real-time scanning, including upgrade options, contact us at [email protected].