DriveSentry provides a realtime and on demand virus scanner, and uses the following methods to determine if an application contains a virus before allowing it to run: DriveSentry partners with Offensive Computing and Frame4 Security Services to collect and analyze malware samples for the database list, partnering in this way ensures that the database is fed by multiple sources and therefore offers redundancy.

Articles in computing publications[citation needed] discussing new malware protection technologies – such as whitelisting – claim that traditional antivirus technologies are having an increasingly hard time keeping up with the latest virus, trojans and other malicious threats.

The techniques of using white/blacklisting and community feedback, may offer greater security[2] However, this functionality does come at a cost – specifically, whitelisting only allows pre-vetted software to be executed, and prevents all other software from running, even if it is harmless.

DriveSentry avoids this issue by allowing the user to be prompted if programs don't appear in the black or whitelist.

DriveSentry attempts to help the user by monitoring the action of the program and calculating and displaying a threat rating.