Advice Request What is your opinion about Microsoft Windows Defender (Windows 10)?

[Lenny_Fox]

The company that found the Trickbot UAC bypass and the CCleaner trojan is using Windows Defender in their no-extra-cost pitch (ditch 3rd-party AV, because WD is as good and add our endpoint protection solution for increased protection and reduced cost - link)

Morphisec's moving target approach relocates memory (like Windows own Address Space Layout Randomization) and leaves a copy of the old memory structure as a malware trap/bait, when this memory trap is accessed in an unusual way they know it is malware (similar how some anti-ransomware software tries to catch ransomware with decoy-files).

Imagine Microsoft buying this company

 

[Andy Ful]

Morphisec does not need the Internet connection (but requires updates from time to time), so it can be very helpful for covering WD in businesses against attacks from the local network. The paid MS services are not cheap, so most enterprises do not use WD alone.

Here is a white paper about Moving Target Defenses (some techniques were adopted in Morphisec):

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1905.00964.pdf

 

[Handsome Recluse]

This forum gets repetitive.

 

[Cortex]

I have an ex work colleague who users her PC very safely, she bought a new laptop & was pretty good value but the shop wanted to sell her an AV + Malwarebytes (for a fortune) which is OTT for her. When she got home she texted me & I rang her as she was looking at ESET 1 user 1 year @ £39.00 ($50) as I put ESET on a
while ago for her ago on a previous lappy.

Defender was already running so I suggested to leave it as it is. I went round a few days later to set a new printer up for her & left it with Defender - First time I've done that, if AV companies want to remain in businesses they need to do better than $50 a year 1 user when Defender is free I feel - I have other licences but for this lady I was happy esp as I did an image before I left - Times change?

 

[roger_m]

if AV companies want to remain in businesses they need to do better than $50 a year 1 user when Defender is free

It's usually not cheap to buy licenses directly from vendors. But if you shop elsewhere, you can get very cheap licenses.

Here are some examples.
I paid $6 for a 3 device/1 year license for ESET Internet Security.
I paid $5.49 for a 1 year license for Norton Antivirus, which I just upgraded for free to Norton 360.
I paid $3 for a 5 year license for McAfee Internet Security.
I paid $10 for 3 device/1 year license for 360 Total Security Premium.

I bought all of these except ESET, from eBay. They all activated with no issues.

Some people find that Windows Defender slows down their computers too much for their liking, so it is not a viable option for them.

 

[Andy Ful]

This forum gets repetitive.

Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers.

It is repetitive, but not too much. There are always new readers and the security landscape changes, too.

 

[Cortex]

I fully realise that, but this lady just looked on ESET UK site, (normal thing for most to do) & that's what she was offered, as she had listened to me in the past she didn't buy - I recently bough a 10 user KIS 2 year licence for £32 from Kaspersky - If people want ESET licences it seems they are getting pretty good at rooting out & blocking after a couple of months none genuine/ shared licenses. confirmed by a call to ESET UK a coupe of months ago.

My point was though, As the word gets around WD is pretty good, the likes of ESET on their site are going to find it more difficult to sell licences @$50 a year when it could be argued WD comes out as well as ESET - BTW I've got KIS on all my PC's not WD & some find KIS slows their PC down equally, & as even inexpensive PC's get faster this may not be a problem.

 

[Andy Ful]

...
Some people find that Windows Defender slows down their computers too much for their liking, so it is not a viable option for them.

That is normal. Although WD is a good start for the home users on Windows 10, it does not mean that one has to stick with it, if he/she does not like it.

 

[SeriousHoax]

Btw, Windows Defender has received a new program update: 4.18.2001.7 but haven't found any changelog yet.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

Btw, Windows Defender has received a new program update: 4.18.2001.7 but haven't found any changelog yet.

Maybe this ?

Microsoft Update Catalog

www.catalog.update.microsoft.com

https://reddup.co/r/Windows10/comments/ex30rq

 

[SeriousHoax]

Maybe this ?

Microsoft Update Catalog

www.catalog.update.microsoft.com

https://reddup.co/r/Windows10/comments/ex30rq

Good find but no changelog here as well.

 

[Sampei Nihira]

Personally I use it on my daughter's pc only for Anti-Exploit Protection.
You should never see the intervention of your Anti-Exploit, and Anti-Malware protection.

If not, you need to configure your browser better.

 

[plat]

Good find but no changelog here as well.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4052623/update-for-windows-defender-antimalware-platform

You get the changelog via Settings/Windows Update/ View Update History/click on Definition Updates and find the Antimalware Platform one. I got it yesterday also.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4052623/update-for-windows-defender-antimalware-platform

You get the changelog via Settings/Windows Update/ View Update History/click on Definition Updates and find the Antimalware Platform one. I got it yesterday also.

I did find this changelog too, but that's for an older/previous...

 

[RKRN3]

I did find this changelog too, but that's for an older/previous...

After Anti-malware update (4.18.2001.7) today, last update was for security intelligence update of v1.309.292.0 which is showing up as failed but in Windows Defender, current update is at v1.309.304.0 which isn't listed in Windows Update.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

In our home we are still at 4.18.1911.3 according to configuredefender

 

[plat]

This is what it says in my Update history, probably for everyone else too, and the Update line is a clickable link obviously. Maybe there's a misprint or something. I don't know where else you'd find a changelog. This isn't the first confusion about this kind of update either.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

I think they pulled that update 4.18.2001.7 because its not coming in on my pc ...
also i see previous link for platform is gone
Its the old and latest stable again :

Microsoft Update Catalog

www.catalog.update.microsoft.com

 

[ncage]

I hate to admit it, but WD is on par with any other top notch AV in the terms of detection, ever-since it includes ATP.

Exactly, it could really improve GUI and overall user friendliness to control its settings. It is like a great tasting cake, but it just lacks the topping.

Isn't ATP only an enterprise feature?

 

[TairikuOkami]

Isn't ATP only an enterprise feature?

Since 1803 or so, the client side is available to everyone, it improved the detection noticeably.
If I understand it correctly, if ATP detects anything anywhere, it will be detected by any version.