VIPRE will display Threat Intercepted alerts when it detects potential threats happening on your Mac, and ask you how to proceed. This article explains what the alerts mean, and your different options for handling them.
What are these alerts?
By default, VIPRE will display a Threat Intercepted alert when it detects potential threats happening on your Mac, and ask you how to proceed. For example, this prompt could be triggered by a suspicious application trying to start, or by the transfer of an infected file.
Threat Intercepted alerts are generated by VIPRE's Active Protection. They are unique because they indicate a potential threat found at that moment. Whereas scans dig deep to locate infected files, Active Protection displays Threat Intercepted alerts the moment suspicious activity happens.
Automatic threat handling
Out of the box, VIPRE will alert you each time it finds a threat, and will ask you to choose an action.
If you prefer, you can tell Active Protection how to handle threats without asking you to choose. For this more automated approach, you can still have VIPRE display Mac notifications when it handles threats.
| Action | What VIPRE does |
|---|---|
| Quarantine (Default) | Select this if you believe the file could be malicious, but don't want to delete it yet. VIPRE will move the file into quarantine, where it can’t harm your Mac. You can later choose to delete or restore it. If you take no further action, quarantined files will be deleted automatically on a schedule defined in your VIPRE preferences. This is the default action, which means "the button more prominent than the rest". The default action can be changed in your Active Protection preferences. See how to manage items in quarantine. |
| Disinfect | This will attempt to remove the threat from the file, and if successful, return the file to its original location on your Mac. If the file cannot be disinfected, VIPRE will ask you to choose another option. |
| Delete | Select this if you believe that the file is malicious in nature. VIPRE will immediately and permanently delete the item from your Mac. |
| Always Ignore | Select this if you trust the file and it comes from a reputable source -- and you don't want to be notified about it again. VIPRE will allow this file to exist without considering it a threat. This option should only be selected if you’re sure the item is a non-threat. See how to add files to the ignore list. |
| Ignore Once | Select this if you trust the file and it comes from a reputable source. This will ignore the file for the moment — until VIPRE encounters it again. This action is equivalent to "Skip for now and ask me later". |
What does VIPRE recommend?
We recommend choosing Disinfect to try cleaning the file. Use Apply to All if you have multiple threats.
If disinfect fails, Quarantine items to review them later. See how to manage items in quarantine. Once you have selected an action for the potentially malicious file, VIPRE will take care of the rest.
To review past actions VIPRE has taken, check the Scan History and Active Protection History.
Additional ways VIPRE handles threats
- During scheduled scans, VIPRE will automatically handle threats according to your scheduled scan preferences.
- Often, threats are moved into quarantine. You should regularly review items in quarantine and decide what to do with them.