Early Launch Anti-Malware

What Does Early Launch Anti-Malware Mean?

Early Launch Anti-Malware (ELAM) is a Windows 8 security technology that evaluates non-Microsoft Windows boot time device/application drivers for malicious code. It is the first system kernel driver that starts in Windows 8 operating mode, before any third party software or driver.

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Techopedia Explains Early Launch Anti-Malware

As a component of Secure Boot – also introduced in Windows 8 – ELAM is a detection driver used to identify malware, root kits or other malicious code/drivers initiated at system startup. When a system starts, ELAM scans all third-party apps/drivers and sends the system kernel a report that includes all of the device/software drivers, which are classified as one of the following four groups: good, bad, bad but boot critical and unknown. All drivers are loaded in Windows 8 by default, with the exception of bad drivers.

ELAM technology also may be used with third-party anti-malware and security software.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…