Windows Defender in Win 10 Anniversary Update any better?

[Eug]

I had additional antivirus installed on my Win 7 machines because I've read that Windows Defender wasn't that great. Does it get better with the Win 10 Anniversary Update?

I'd prefer to just use Windows Defender, because it's so non-intrusive and isn't as bloated.

BTW, I've read that MalwareBytes causes compatibility issues with Acronis True Image too. (I have True Image 2015, which is Win 10 compatible.)

 

[escrow4]

Use common sense. I haven't used any antimalware or antivirus for years. Whatever browser you use add an ad-blocker and ghostery if possible. You don't need anything more. Defender has also improved. Pretty sure MS rejigged the engine for Win 10.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Most malware gets introduced through ad scripts and spam email links that activate script. I use Malwarebytes premium which actively scans for it and blocks redirect commands that ads execute. I also use zonealarm free which works with it and between the two everything gets found. Security should be a layered approach which is why I run more than one application. I cannot comment on Acronis as I don't use it but perhaps someone who does will chime in for you.

 

[lxskllr]

I deemed it sufficient for the secretary's machine. I setup firefox as the default browser, and have ublock installed with noscript in allow all mode. A/V is largely worthless, and degrades the computing experience. Defender is acceptable since it's unobtrusive. I would add another cloud av, but then defender disables itself, so I haven't bothered. If someone knows how to override that behavior, I'd love to hear it.

 

[Eug]

I believe in the Anniversary Update of Win 10 there is an option to allow automatic periodic scanning by Windows Defender in addition to third party anti-virus. I just don't know if Windows Defender's detection rate is better or not. In the past it was just rated as OK but not great.

 

[lxskllr]

I just don't know if Windows Defender's detection rate is better or not. In the past it was just rated as OK but not great.

AFAIK, it's still pretty crappy. I don't have much faith in av though. Stuff still gets through. Viruses get written, av reacts, old viruses are dropped, new ones written. Rinse, repeat... I'm willing to run av if it has zero to trivial effect on computing. Most don't fit that definition anymore. They mitm email, pester with popups, or hammer the cpu/disk io. It just isn't worth it.

 

[Eug]

Here's a review I just found, from January 2016.

Microsoft’s Windows Defender antivirus is less awful than it used to be

Windows 8.1 - for home users:

Windows 10 - for business users:

Better than before but still mediocre, so they still recommend using a third party virus checker.

We'll see what happens with the anniversary update in August, but I'm not optimistic. 🙁

 

[nerp]

I'd just use defender. All of them fail at 0-day stuff. All of them. Honestly, real-time virus protection is pretty worthless unless you browse porn and warez. The reason I say just use defender is that many antivirus suites actually do horrible things, like plop self-signing certificates on your system or creating new attack vectors. And if you poke around enough, you'll easily find exploits for all of them being casually sold and swapped on the black market. I'd say go ahead and run one if you need the placebo. But sometimes, the placebo ends up being somewhat of a poison pill.

 

[vailr]

Windows still lacks a decent firewall for outgoing data. Emsisoft Online Armor used to offer that type of firewall, but has now been replaced with Emsisoft Internet Security:
https://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/internetsecurity/