Trend Micro delivers File Reputation Services and Web Reputation Services to IMSVA and smart protection sources.

Smart protection sources provide File Reputation Services by hosting the majority of the virus/malware pattern definitions. IMSVA clients host the remaining definitions. The client sends scan queries to smart protection sources if its own pattern definitions cannot determine the risk of the file. Smart protection sources determine the risk using identification information.

Smart protection sources provide Web Reputation Services by hosting web reputation data previously available only through Trend Micro hosted servers. The client sends web reputation queries to smart protection sources to check the reputation of websites that a user is attempting to access. The client correlates a website's reputation with the specific web reputation policy enforced on the endpoint to determine whether access to the site will be allowed or blocked.

The smart protection source to which the client connects depends on the client's location. Clients can connect to either Trend Micro Smart Protection Network or Smart Protection Server.