Windows Defender - Sufficient?

MSE is all I use on my machines.

It is extrmely rare these days to pick up an infection.

Use a modern uptodate browser.
Keep Windows or what ever OS you use to do date
Keep all programs uptodate
Keep plugins like flash etc uptodate
Disable java in the browser unless you really need it
Use the windows firewall or a third party software solution

Other than that common sense really.
 
it's rare but it happens.

my son had bubbledock and a bunch of other crap on his computer and about 5 toolbars for internet explorer.

I'm uber careful and the only person who uses this pc adwcleaner still removed something called uninstall.exe and a few other stupid plugins for IE.

I don't even use IE so god knows how they got installed, probably JAVA being as **** as always.

it's nearly always ******* JAVA or FLASH

if addware can get in so easily with MSE I'm sure a virus can too.

also MSE misses stuff it knows how to detect. sometimes you can run a scan with another anti virus and MSE will start catching stuff the other anti virus has just scan , stuff it misses on it's own full system scan like WTF?
 
I can't find a direct quote from Microsoft recommending customers use other AV software.
Click to expand...
"We’re providing all of that data and information to our partners so they can do at least as well as we are," she said. "The natural progression is that we will always be on the bottom of these tests. And honestly, if we are doing our job correctly, that’s what will happen."

She added that Microsoft wants "everyone to do better than us because we know that makes it harder for the bad guys".
Click to expand...
I think the comments were taken from an interview, which microsoft responded to with a bit of backpedaling. I just think if someone from MS is making such comments, and on indipendant scoring sites MSE is no where to be found, thats a direct enough statement in itself. Their use of phrase 'baseline' suggests; 'yeah use it, but dont just rely on us.'


Disabling UAC is stupid.

Removing admin rights mitigates 92% of critical Microsoft vulnerabilities
Click to expand...
Interesting statistic, is that just UAC or entire user admin rights?
Unfortunatley some people need admin rights, which is sort of a pain hearing such a high % of problems are avoided without.

This could be a bit of a silly question but aside from an actual "i am malware, i am bad" attacks, is there any evidence for things happening in the background to cause slow downs when connecting to the internet, not sure how to explain what i mean?
 
arknor said:
even with mse/defender you still can get some crap slipping through.

adwcleaner and junkware removal tool will deal with those though, usually it's just browser plugins and crap like that which manage to install them self somehow. (no I am not accidental installing them with other programs)
Click to expand...

been using mse/defender since it came out and have never had anything add or install its self.
what sites you going too lol.
I use IE by the way
 
Last edited:
been using mse/defender since it came out and have never had anything add or install its self.
Click to expand...
As in applications? But what about background scripts? MSE may not detect things, but that dosnt mean there is nothing there, or trying to be there. (Not meant nastly :P)
 
If you are a lazy internet user like me, knowing better but choosing to browse at lightning speed, paying little attention to what I click, and quite often seeing the little "threat blocked" popups, then I recommend you get some decent protection.

If you choose to use your common sense (Pfft) then Defender should be fine unless you get directly targeted. Though if that happens I doubt any consumer grade security will help for long.
 
FyreFunk said:
I think the comments were taken from an interview, which microsoft responded to with a bit of backpedaling. I just think if someone from MS is making such comments, and on indipendant scoring sites MSE is no where to be found, thats a direct enough statement in itself. Their use of phrase 'baseline' suggests; 'yeah use it, but dont just rely on us.'
Click to expand...

I agree in principle that if you want the highest detection rates MSE wouldn't be a good choice but that's really not the same as Microsoft explicitly saying "we recommend people use a different product", which is the narrative the authors are pushing.

A baseline in this instance is a minimum acceptable standard, which is exactly what the Microsoft rep says. That standard must be of some utility otherwise it would not be defined as such. The question for individuals is - does that baseline meet their requirements?

FyreFunk said:
Interesting statistic, is that just UAC or entire user admin rights?
Unfortunatley some people need admin rights, which is sort of a pain hearing such a high % of problems are avoided without.
Click to expand...

I would take such percentages with a pinch of salt, particularly if the source is a few years old. On its introduction, UAC broke a huge proportion of malware largely due to the default configuration of Windows XP. But malware creators adapt and malware running with standard user privileges is still dangerous. A standard user account should not be viewed as a safe sandbox.

The principle of least privilege is very effective, but like antivirus software or a firewall it should be viewed as a component of a broader security system.
 
A baseline in this instance is a minimum acceptable standard, which is exactly what the Microsoft rep says. That standard must be of some utility otherwise it would not be defined as such. The question for individuals is - does that baseline meet their requirements?
Click to expand...
Yep, totally agree with this. For some its completley fine to have that baseline and others will have more peace of mind with something else.

I would take such percentages with a pinch of salt, particularly if the source is a few years old. On its introduction, UAC broke a huge proportion of malware largely due to the default configuration of Windows XP. But malware creators adapt and malware running with standard user privileges is still dangerous. A standard user account should not be viewed as a safe sandbox.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice, unfortunatley i have to use admin rights a lot, so was a bit miffed to hear the statistic, glad to hear there is only some truth in this.

The principle of least privilege is very effective, but like antivirus software or a firewall it should be viewed as a component of a broader security system.
Click to expand...
Nail+Head. Very true.

Speaking of Sanboxes I recently read that some malware now exists that knows its attacking a Sanbox and can pass through the virtual into the real, some scary **** right there.
 
arknor said:
run the 2 programs I said and see if they find anything.

you won't know if anything is there unless you scan :p
Click to expand...

I was on about you saying addon/toolbars to IE, you would know about them. but anyway did the scan, it found 1 thing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Junkware Removal Tool (JRT) by Thisisu
Version: 6.1.2 (02.20.2014:1)
OS: Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center x64
Ran by Andy on 01/03/2014 at 8:59:25.49
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~ Services

~~~ Registry Values

~~~ Registry Keys

Successfully deleted: [Registry Key] HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\im

~~~ Files

~~~ Folders

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Anti Virus

I have just started using Bullguard Antivirus which I got on £5.00 for 1 user 1 year licence and it is great. It light and works like magic.
 
I have just started using Bullguard Antivirus which I got on £5.00 for 1 user 1 year licence and it is great. It light and works like magic.
Click to expand...
Yeah independant sites show this did ok on scores. I read 5 as 50 and was like whoa you got ripped off, then re-read it as 5! Where did you find it so cheap?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom