Why Do You Need Real-Time Antivirus Protection? Real-time antivirus protection significantly decreases your chances of that happening. 5 Top Antivirus Software With Real-Time MonitoringThese five names – most of whom you’ve probably heard of at some stage – stand out for their real-time protection in particular. Its key features include real-time malware, ransomware and phishing protection and even the free version leaves real-time scanning switched on. Its real-time protection is award-winning, but be aware that full scans can be a touch resource-hungry.