Antivirus and firewall inspection on the trading connection
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 2:25 pm
Security software scans network traffic and files. On a trading machine, that inspection can add small delays to every packet and occasionally block or delay connections to broker servers.
Some antivirus products intercept encrypted traffic, performing their own decryption and re-encryption, which can add milliseconds per message. Real-time file scanning can also slow the writing of logs and history.
The symptoms are vague: occasional lag spikes, delayed order confirmations, or connection drops. They are hard to diagnose because they seem random.
Test by comparing latency with and without the security software, on a safe network and with caution. If a difference appears, configure exclusions for the trading platform's folders and processes, and for the broker's server addresses.
Do not disable protection entirely on a machine that holds trading credentials. Instead, tune it. A dedicated trading machine with limited software installed reduces the need for aggressive scanning.
Security matters, as does performance. The goal is the right balance.
Has security software ever been the hidden source of lag on the trading machine?
Some antivirus products intercept encrypted traffic, performing their own decryption and re-encryption, which can add milliseconds per message. Real-time file scanning can also slow the writing of logs and history.
The symptoms are vague: occasional lag spikes, delayed order confirmations, or connection drops. They are hard to diagnose because they seem random.
Test by comparing latency with and without the security software, on a safe network and with caution. If a difference appears, configure exclusions for the trading platform's folders and processes, and for the broker's server addresses.
Do not disable protection entirely on a machine that holds trading credentials. Instead, tune it. A dedicated trading machine with limited software installed reduces the need for aggressive scanning.
Security matters, as does performance. The goal is the right balance.
Has security software ever been the hidden source of lag on the trading machine?