Rather than scanning for malware when a Mac is started or an app is launched, Apple has quietly added a feature whereby it scans whenever a Mac is idling.
Macs have famously been less prone to viruses than PCs, but all computers — and all computer users — are vulnerable to malware. Without explicitly announcing it, Apple has taken a further step to block and remove malware from the Mac.
According to Howard Oakley on his The Eclectic Light Company blog, Apple introduced what’s called XProtect Remediator in March 2021, as part of its then latest macOS Monterey update.
Read more at AppleInsider.com