Google Chrome engineer says Windows Defender “the only well behaved AV”

Do you agree with them?


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Some engineers from Google are actually saying some nice things about Microsoft for a change. The comments are contained in and around a thread started by “Anti-virus, malware and infosec expert” @VessOnSecurity, regarding an ex-Mozilla employee’s rant a few days ago imploring people to “Disable Your Antivirus Software (Except Microsoft’s).”

some links :

Eyes Above The Waves: Disable Your Antivirus Software (Except Microsoft's)
Will Harris on Twitter
Justin Schuh on Twitter
“AV is my single biggest impediment to shipping a secure browser.” | Hacker News
 

Daniel Keller

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Dec 28, 2016
86
I say yes.
But I think you have to see all security features of windows (10) as a whole and use them. If you take full advantage of smartscreen, UAC, work with user account only, use SRP, enable PUP support for WD, install all updates, and don't forget brain.exe, you have quite a solid security infrastructure.
 
D

Deleted member 178

Thread author
I say yes.
But I think you have to see all security features of windows (10) as a whole and use them. If you take full advantage of smartscreen, UAC, work with user account only, use SRP, enable PUP support for WD, install all updates, and don't forget brain.exe, you have quite a solid security infrastructure.
Sadly few people have our understanding of Windows built-in security, they still see them as independent components.
 

military

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Aug 13, 2012
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Sadly few people have our understanding of Windows built-in security, they still see them as independent components.
In it is as also fault Microsoft. How do you think ?
The truth they have already started to work in this direction, is appreciable on Creators Update and Fall Creators Update (Redstone 3).

There is not enough graph of UAC, it's a pity.
 

Daniel Keller

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Dec 28, 2016
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Sadly few people have our understanding of Windows built-in security, they still see them as independent components.

Yea, you are completely right. But I also think that Microsoft did not a good job explaining that to the users. It is not easy for non experienced users to get to know all this security features, understand how they work together and configure them.

Creators update is a smal step in the right direction by grouping some security tools but there is still a way to go...
 

RejZoR

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Nov 26, 2016
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“the only well behaved AV”

Of course it is. It doesn't have any protection features that can actually make a difference. No reactive behavior blocker, no reactive cloud, just bunch of "proactive" features I frankly don't even know if they even do anything. At all.

If your protection system involves complex HTTP stream, behavior analysis and cloud like found in avast!, Kaspersky or Bitdefender, of course chances of misbehaving are higher. It's a more complex system. That's the same as saying Mercedes S class with top of the line equipment is more likely to break down and have high repair costs opposed to Dacia Sandero, base model. Of course, the later has nothing really to offer. Windows Defender IS Dacia Sandero of antiviruses. It works really well for basic functionality and gets you to destination, but it's just that.
 

Evjl's Rain

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Apr 18, 2016
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and that is all average users can handle.
I think average users can handle windows defender but they are much more likely to get infected because they don't understand about UAC, SUA, windows firewall. We assume they are default-allow users. The only thing, besides the signatures, which can protect them is the system-wise Smartscreen, perhaps most of them don't know where the Allow/run button is. However, in eastern countries, using USBs, external drives are very common and in this case, I don't think SS will react
 

S3cur1ty 3nthu5145t

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May 22, 2017
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Average users with horrible surfing practices will end up in trouble whether they use the built in security or 3rd party security, and no truer statement exists in this thread. No security will save a user from themselves.

As for 3rd party security bugs becoming an issue , especially for average users, I would ask that any of you stop over in the Norton forum to view an example, where Norton's firewall is blocking Facebook from loading properly, and most of the average users in that thread have defaulted to completely disabling Norton's firewall so they can surf facebook o_O:eek:

Users do not need more security features added, they need to learn better habits and how to use what they have.
 

Winter Soldier

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If you are savvy enough you can manage security by using WD and other technologies that Windows (10) provides, zero cost and everything is well integrated in the Windows kernel.

If not, you can entrust yourself to third-party products which in some cases may offer more protection, but not always, because in all these cases it is fundamental the user's approach towards safety culture.
 

Evjl's Rain

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Average users with horrible surfing practices will end up in trouble whether they use the built in security or 3rd party security, and no truer statement exists in this thread. No security will save a user from themselves.

As for 3rd party security bugs becoming an issue , especially for average users, I would ask that any of you stop over in the Norton forum to view an example, where Norton's firewall is blocking Facebook from loading properly, and most of the average users in that thread have defaulted to completely disabling Norton's firewall so they can surf facebook o_O:eek:

Users do not need more security features added, they need to learn better habits and how to use what they have.
I totally agree that every user should learn about the safe browsing habits
However, for specific types of users who cannot do it or they refuse to use windows 10, it's better to install or setup better configurations other than WD
almost everyone around me only knows how to open chrome, word, excel, copy&paste documents, that's it. Also most of them don't understand english. The windows version in my language is horrible and nowhere near the original meanings. I can't force them to do what they don't want to do and we don't have time to show them how to do ABC like what we can do in 1 day

I always setup Avast free with slightly tweaked settings + appcheck antiransomware free for all people around me. none of them have got any infection for years. They are happy with the performance and usability
The only problem they have is when avast was causing BSODs after a few hours of using with windows 7 and they fixed it quickly
 

ZeroDay

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Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that their was a critical bug in Windows defender? So I don't think it's completely fair to say all other AV vendors other than MS cause problems specially with web browsers. I've used many 3rd party security products over the years and never have any of them caused any security issues or bugs with web browsers. I think it's amazing that Google recommend we only use WD but only recently there was a critical bug in WD and MS have been known to be extremely slow patching vulnerabilities.
 
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