Protection monitoring in CleanMyMac X makes sure your Mac is safe from malware: adware, spyware, potentially unwanted apps, and other hazards.
Get a quick protection overview
Open the CleanMyMac X Menu and check the Protection monitor to make sure that:
- Your Mac doesn't experience a malware attack
- Malware monitors are active
- Malware database is up-to-date
For more details, click the Protection monitor in the Menu; click it again to hide these details. To close both menus, simply click anywhere beyond them (for example, your desktop or another app).
Alerts in the Protection monitor inform about immediate threats. Once a malicious program is detected, click
Review and Remove to open the Malware Removal module
and run a full scan.
The Protection monitor also gives a warning if the real-time or background malware monitors are disabled, and suggests to turn them on. Finally, you can check if you have the latest definitions in the malware detection database, and update them right from the Protection monitor.
Visualise protection status with the Sonar instrument
Protecting your Mac against malware is like guarding a battleship against mines, hostile ships, and submarines. To keep that sensation, the Protection Sonar visualises threats as in a real warfare. To access the Sonar, open the CleanMyMac X Menu and click the Protection monitor.
While there are no threats, the sonar waves are green. The Full status in the top-right corner of the Sonar stands for the Full Protection state, using all CleanMyMac X's resources. Dots in the Sonar don't signify a threat; we're using them for the likelihood of a military device.
Waves can turn yellow and the protection status shift to Partial. The change signals a potential danger: either the real-time or the background malware monitors are disabled. We recommend keeping both of them active; to do that, click Turn On in the Monitor and Background Scan instruments below the Sonar.
Red waves and icons on the Sonar signify threats detected. Click Review & Remove in the threat list below the Sonar to delete malicious resources using the Malware Removal module.
Real-time malware monitoring
The real-time monitor checks the newly installed software and notifies you if it acts weirdly or has dangerous components. The monitor uses only a tiny bit of the system resources and never makes Mac sluggish.
When the real-time protection is disabled, malware can easily sneak onto your Mac through an app that seems harmless and safe. Clicking Turn On in the Monitor instrument enables real-time monitoring instantly. To disable it, follow these steps:
- Open the CleanMyMac X menu, then click the gear icon in the lower-right corner, and choose Preferences.
Alternatively, open CleanMyMac X and choose CleanMyMac X > Preferences (this menu is in the upper-left corner of your screen). - Switch to the Protection tab and deselect the “Enable Malware monitor” checkbox.
Note: Even if you use the real-time monitor, you shouldn’t neglect full malware scans. Start it in
the Malware Removal
module.
Background scanning
As we’ve already learned, the real-time monitor focuses only on the apps you install. For better security, CleanMyMac X periodically executes deeper malware scans on the background. It checks the entire system and notifies when hidden threats are found. Even with CleanMyMac X closed and its Menu app disabled, the Background Scanner is still running according to its schedule.
For the highest protection level, we recommend keeping the background scanning enabled. To do so, open the CleanMyMac X Menu and click Protection, then click Turn On in the Background Monitor section. You can also
switch the Background Monitoring on or off in the Protection tab of CleanMyMac X Preferences (select or
deselect the checkbox next to “Look for threats in the background”).
