App Review Microsoft Defender (Windows 11)

It is advised to take all reviews with a grain of salt. In extreme cases some reviews use dramatization for entertainment purposes.
Product name
Microsoft Defender
Installation (rating)
5.00 star(s)
User interface (rating)
4.00 star(s)
Accessibility notes
The interface is very clear, well configurable for experts, and simple for beginners.
I remove one star because during a scan and when the antivirus detects several malware, the interface freezes or bugs...
Performance (rating)
4.00 star(s)
Core Protection (rating)
5.00 star(s)
Proactive protection (rating)
5.00 star(s)
Additional Protection notes
Great protection ! (Trojan, Worm, Exploit, RAT etc)
Medium anti-phishing (Microsoft Edge, or the extension on Chrome)
Browser protection (rating)
3.00 star(s)
Positives
    • Freeware
    • Minimal setup required
    • Low impact on system resources
    • Easy to use
    • Ransomware protection
    • Detects or blocks in the wild malware
    • Consistently high test scores
    • Excellent scores in independent tests
    • Great value for money
    • Effective malware removal
Negatives
    • Clumsy or awkward interface (UI)
    • Limited web protection
Time spent using product
Reviewed over a 30-day period
Computer specs
Virtual Machine :

VMware Workstation Pro
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
8Go of dedicated ram on the 32GB of the host machine
SSD dedicated to virtual machines (Crucial MX500 SSD)
Recommended for
  1. All types of users
Overall rating
5.00 star(s)

Shadowra

Level 33
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Tester
Well-known
Sep 2, 2021
2,246
Hello :)

A little feedback on Windows Defender after 1 week of testing on a dedicated virtual machine ;)

Interface UI :

8MHnqLPL.png

Malware Detection :

22K7ImsQ.png

Detection Name (it's a Trojan) :

DMv70UTH.png
 
Last edited:

Shadowra

Level 33
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Tester
Well-known
Sep 2, 2021
2,246
I pushed further, I had 2 0-day Trojans :D

The 2 malwares are Trojans that pretend to be a video game. Once launched, a Powershell command is executed to steal the ID and Token of an account in the Discord application (TokenGrab).

At the time of writing, before the test, only Wisevector and Kaspersky blocked the attack.

Here is Microsoft Defender on the 2 ;)

1.

TsPHlpfp.png

2. The file has been deleted contrary to what Microsoft Defender says

FfEAHJRQ.png

So yes, Microsoft Defender can protect you efficiently, and it's free ;)
 
F

ForgottenSeer 92963

In the past I jumped through loops to get a decent protection on XP A light best of freeware breed HIPS do it yourself setup and now I am only using Microsoft Defender (with Configure Defender on MAX like settings) and SRP (with Hard Configurator like Windows_10_Basic_Recommended profile). When you would have told me in 2006 that in 16 years time I would use Microsoft only protection, I would have taken any bet on it that I would not
 

Shadowra

Level 33
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Tester
Well-known
Sep 2, 2021
2,246
In the past I jumped through loops to get a decent protection on XP A light best of freeware breed HIPS do it yourself setup and now I am only using Microsoft Defender (with Configure Defender on MAX like settings) and SRP (with Hard Configurator like Windows_10_Basic_Recommended profile). When you would have told me in 2006 that in 16 years time I would use Microsoft only protection, I would have taken any bet on it that I would not

Everything evolves :D
Microsoft have made great efforts since the addition of AI Machine Learning, even I am still shocked!

I remember in the past that Microsoft's solutions were bad... (Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 7 / Windows Defender on Windows 8)

Just this little interface bug that remains annoying when I scan a pack (but since Mrs Michu doesn't get infected by 700 000 malwares per day, I didn't underline it too much)
 

Andy Ful

From Hard_Configurator Tools
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Developer
Well-known
Dec 23, 2014
8,040
Everything evolves :D
Microsoft have made great efforts since the addition of AI Machine Learning, even I am still shocked!

I remember in the past that Microsoft's solutions were bad... (Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 7 / Windows Defender on Windows 8)

Just this little interface bug that remains annoying when I scan a pack (but since Mrs Michu doesn't get infected by 700 000 malwares per day, I didn't underline it too much)

It seems that MD and Avast are closer in 2021 to the top AVs (in the Consumer Real-World scenario) compared to the period 2019-2020.

REAL-WORLD 2021 (Triathlon = AV-Comparatives + AV-Test + SE Labs) 12 tests
Avast, Microsoft, Kaspersky, Norton ....... 10.5 missed samples
Result rescaled because in the year 2021 there were slightly fewer samples.

Real-World 2019-2020 (Triathlon = AV-Comparatives + AV-Test + SE Labs) 24 tests
--------------------------------- average per 1 year
Norton 360................ 4 missed samples
Kaspersky.................. 9.5 missed samples
Avast, Microsoft...... 18.5 missed samples
 
Last edited:

Andy Ful

From Hard_Configurator Tools
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Developer
Well-known
Dec 23, 2014
8,040
out of curiosity...are these tests on Home or Pro?....and is core isolation enabled?

These features cannot have any visible impact on the Consumer test results. The differences between Windows Home and Pro are not relevant in these tests. Core Isolation can help to protect the system against malicious drivers and already infected systems against attacks on the Windows kernel.
 
Last edited:

Andy Ful

From Hard_Configurator Tools
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Developer
Well-known
Dec 23, 2014
8,040
Windows 11 Pro. Isolation does not work on a virtualized system
It could work if Nested Virtualization is enabled in VM. I tried to turn on Memory Integrity in VM, but it failed due to the incompatible Intel driver (E1G6032E.sys a part of Intel(R) PRO/1000 Adapter). I am not sure what tests @Mjolnir had in mind. In AV Labs tests (from my post) it was Windows 10, but I doubt if Memory Integrity was enabled.
 
Last edited:

eonline

Level 21
Verified
Well-known
Nov 15, 2017
1,064
Have you tried this app? It is not yet available in my country but maybe in yours it is.

 

n8chavez

Level 16
Well-known
Feb 26, 2021
785
Have you tried this app? It is not yet available in my country but maybe in yours it is.


I can't say I really understand the point of this app. Yes, you can scan your current system/device with this. Yes, you can see other devices you have that have this installed. But no, you cannot scan those other devices or interact with them or even locate them. All you can do is see that those other devices are "protected." It seems half-baked, dumb, or both to me. Stick with Eset mobile, since all this is is a Windows Security gui with no real function of its own.
 

Andy Ful

From Hard_Configurator Tools
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Developer
Well-known
Dec 23, 2014
8,040

Shadowra,​

I noticed that Defender has got 5 stars in "Network protection". This can be misguiding. The default setup includes Network Inspection System (NIS) implemented via the service NisSrv.exe, but it works differently from what most people understand as Network protection. According to Microsoft it “helps guard against intrusion attempts targeting known and newly discovered vulnerabilities in network protocols.”
The normal "Network protection" is available in Defender only in advanced (non-default) settings.(y)
 
Last edited:
F

ForgottenSeer 69673

I can't say I really understand the point of this app. Yes, you can scan your current system/device with this. Yes, you can see other devices you have that have this installed. But no, you cannot scan those other devices or interact with them or even locate them. All you can do is see that those other devices are "protected." It seems half-baked, dumb, or both to me. Stick with Eset mobile, since all this is is a Windows Security gui with no real function of its own.
I agree as to what is so special about this app? Installed it yesterday so added some screen shots. I also installed the Microsoft Defender App Guard but since I am trying out a inactivated Win 10 Enterprise, I can't check the program or personalize this OS.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2022-02-10 093537.png
    Screenshot 2022-02-10 093537.png
    549.5 KB · Views: 300
  • Screenshot 2022-02-10 093618.png
    Screenshot 2022-02-10 093618.png
    102.6 KB · Views: 285
  • Screenshot 2022-02-10 093759.png
    Screenshot 2022-02-10 093759.png
    46.5 KB · Views: 298

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top