A Case for Windows Defender: Triad of Perfect Scores in AV-Test

[Raevenlord]

Here's a strange thing: a case for a free, bundled software solution being better (in the metrics concerned and evaluated) than paid, third-party counterparts. We're writing of none other than Microsoft's own Windows Defender suite, which is bundled with Windows and offers a security solution integrated into your OS. While the "paid is always better" philosophy has been proven wrong time and again and isn't that much of a powerhouse behind users' thought process anymore, the fact is that Windows Defender has somewhat been taken for granted as an "undesirability" in users' computers. However, a comparison made by AV-Test, which pits many of the available cybersecurity solutions available on the market, has found Microsoft's Windows Defender to be worthy of a triad of perfect scores.

The results for Windows Defender include perfect (6.0) scores in the "Protection", "Performance" and Usability" categories. The testing period refers to May through June of this year, and only F-Secure SAFE 17, Kaspersky Internet Security 19 and Norton Security 22.17 managed to get the same perfect scores as Windows Defender Version 4.18. Check out the link for the score of your cybersecurity solution of choice. But it's clear that least where this period is concerned, Windows Defender walked circles around some paid solutions.



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[VulkanBros]

Interesting....
But no mention of virus definition update rates and, to my knowledge, Defender has no website check (SmartScreen - so they have) no email scanning client.

Common sense should be enough

 

[las]

Defender is working just fine, I'd never pay for AV

 

[amit_talkin]

Here using free Comodo Internet Security for like 10 years now. Happy with it. Cant find any better firewall out there compared to Comodo.

 

[trparky]

no email scanning client

I don't think that they need an email scanner, that's just one more background service running that can soak up precious CPU cycles. For many of us here at TechPowerUp, we want our processors doing what we want it to do; not needlessly toiling away running God knows what kind of background crap that many of today's "security suites" have as part of them.

I used to use Avast but I dumped them simply because they're getting a lot naggier as of late, I always got notifications to buy more stuff.

 

[XiGMAKiD]

This is good news at least for me, they really took their time to get here

 

[willace]

Defender is working just fine, I'd never pay for AV

Been using Defender + adblock for a long time.

No issue at all.

 

[Octopuss]

I heard claims that Defender is performance hungry or something. No idea if it's true.

 

[sam_86314]

Been using Defender for as long as I've used Windows 10 and haven't had any issues.

I used Microsoft Security Essentials before I moved to Windows 10. It was a mixed bag. I got a few bad things with it, but it would take care of them when it finally caught them.

 

[Tomorrow]

No ESET in the list while most others are represented. Odd...

 

[TheLaughingMan]

I have been using Windows A/V for years because I am cheap, it was convenient, and performance was good as best I could tell. I am surprised as to how good it is.

 

[Camm]

Its a damn good default.

But its also the default that all malware needs to overcome.

 

[Rahmat Sofyan]

yup, since windows 10 first launch I've never use any other av, windef quite enough ..

just make sure regularly check for an update, at least once a week ..

simple, integrated, no ads so far and easy to update ..

 

[moob]

No ESET in the list while most others are represented. Odd...

They're still in the Business suite: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/business-windows-client/

Seems like they choose not to participate in the Home User test for whatever reason...

 

[Zareek]

I will stick with my free Sophos Home account until one of my PCs has an issue with it. I used M$ built-in with the last fresh install for a week or two. It seems pretty good but after Security Essentials and everything that it missed, my confidence in M$ protecting their own OS is shaky at best. On top of that the Sophos stuff allows me to prevent my wife and son from installing crapware on their machines.

 

[Deleted member 171912]

Interesting....
But no mention of virus definition update rates and, to my knowledge, Defender has no website check (SmartScreen - so they have) no email scanning client.

Common sense should be enough

3x per day.

 

[danbert2000]

There's just no need for anything else nowadays. Half the battle is protecting yourself from suspicious sites and downloads, which is pretty much common sense among people that frequent this forum. The other half is something that is updated to scan for the biggest threats. Microsoft does a great job at defining these threats because they have the analytics of the Windows 10 user base to identify malicious software campaigns.

I remember the good ol' days of running AVG or Zonealarm, but since Windows has a competent firewall and antivirus now, you don't really gain anything from Norton or McAfee. You get a different solution, not a better one.

 

[bug]

My beef with Defender is that because it comes bundled, it is the default target for an attacker.
My beef with free AV alternatives is they nag you about upgrading at a reduced price.
And because of the above, of course my beef with paid AV alternatives is they're too expensive.

Fwiw, my installed AV solution has caught only a handful of potential threats in the past decade (and they were all stuff my wife brought home on a stick). A combination of not letting the firewall open up ports at will, using your head when downloading stuff and NoScript works wonders

 

[Readlight]

It slows down usb flah drives.

 

[Bitgod]

https://www.av-comparatives.org/ said in their June testing that Defender had a ton of false positives, so they ranked them in the middle. Though I guess if you use it and aren't getting alerts, it's working for ya.

 

[TheGuruStud]

It doesn't work at all unless you like false positives and restoring your files.

I immediately disable this pile of crap after install. Have you noticed that microtards no longer let you take control of reg keys to fully disable it? Scumbags.

 

[trparky]

It doesn't work at all unless you like false positives and restoring your files.

Have you ever heard that it's better to be safe than sorry? I'd rather have something be detected as a false positive than to have the malware run roughshod over my system and my data.

 

[TheGuruStud]

Have you ever heard that it's better to be safe than sorry? I'd rather have something be detected as a false positive than to have the malware run roughshod over my system and my data.

What does it matter if it doesn't catch anything useful?

Install eset, turn on all options and disable defender. You'll get a few falses while blocking virtually anything, especially before they download or a script inject does something naughty.

I've never seen a synthetic AV/malware test that was relevant in my life. Remember how well mcaffe and Norton would score (and apparently still does, what a joke)? Lul

 

[rtwjunkie]

I heard claims that Defender is performance hungry or something. No idea if it's true.

Only when actively scanning. I use Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Pro (they both are coded now to allow each other resident with no ill effects) on my HTPC. It runs an i3-4160.

I know on startup it is going to run a scan after an update definition, so those use about 80 to 85% CPU cycles. After that, though, it has practically zero impact. I can stream from Netflix or Amazon or from my Server and no slowdown of any of the streaming and playback.

Also, in the last two years it has not given me a single false positive.

 

[Frick]

It doesn't work at all unless you like false positives and restoring your files.

I immediately disable this pile of crap after install. Have you noticed that microtards no longer let you take control of reg keys to fully disable it? Scumbags.

I can't remember ever seeing a false positive with Defender.

Also, edgy.