Antivirus Software

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Is Windows Defender on it's own sufficient enough to use for anti-virus and Malware?
My subscription to Malwarebytes expires soon but i am reluctant to renew as i had a problem with it and i couldn't use it for about two weeks.Their technical staff tried to resolve the issue but failed and it was only from going onto the Malwarebytes forum that some kind soul on there helped me get it back online.
I was thinking of purchasing Bitdefender as it has very good reviews on picking up viruses and Malware but Windows Defender seems to have come along in leaps and bounds lately and even outscored on tests paid third party software.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this?

 

[a.twiddler]

I'm still with Avast free antivirus but I've read (probably on here previously) that Windows Defender is as good as anything. It's just inertia that stops me uninstalling Avast, to give it a chance. It might just be the next time it urges me to upgrade, as I allegedly have a zillion issues solvable only by upgrading to Avast's paid set up that finally overcomes that inertia. That, and the tendency for Windows 10 to make mountains out of molehills when I want to make changes.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes it is

 

[markemark]

No it isn’t. Depends on what you’re protecting and how big a target you are. It may be as good as other free antivirus but that isn’t saying much.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

No it isn’t. Depends on what your protecting and how bit a target you are. It may be as good as other free antivirus but that isn’t saying much.

Well it sounds like a home PC in which case it very much is sufficient

 

[markemark]

Well it sounds like a home PC in which case it very much is sufficient

If you think so. I don’t agree but that’s a difference in risk and consequences.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you think so. I don’t agree but that’s a difference in risk and consequences.

If you’ve got evidence it’s less effective than the anti virus mentioned; you are welcome to post it.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I used to be an IT Technican and other IT things before that

I am out-of-date myself now but I know people who administer this sort of thing professionally
They pretty much all say that Defender on its own it fine for a home computer
Full networks of business systems need something more secure but for home use it is fine

Having said which I still use AVAST free - mostly due to inertia


That does, of course, assume that you have a decent recent backup of all important files - but you do anyway
don't you?


(pro tip - don't tell an IT technician you don't have a backup - it makes us twitchy - just mutter and go and backup it up NOW)

 

[markemark]

If you’ve got evidence it’s less effective than the anti virus mentioned; you are welcome to post it.

Why is it fine for home and not for business? Is it because your home pc is more secure or is it because your home
Pc is less important? If it’s only because it’s less important then that’s all relative and what you have on your home pc Could be far more valuable, eg photos and videos not back up.

. Better protection is paid for. It depends how important your data is. Whether it is at work or home is irrelevant.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Why is it fine for home and not for business? Is it because your home pc is more secure or is it because your home
Pc is less important? If it’s only because it’s less important then that’s all relative and what you have on your home pc Could be far more valuable, eg photos and videos not back up.

. Better protection is paid for. It depends how important your data is. Whether it is at work or home is irrelevant.

You’ve have to consider the bad actors involved in business and home, and what access they have, the different attack vectors etc. Very different scenarios needing different layers of security.

Again do post your evidence Defender is less effective than named anti virus.

 

[slowmotion]

For home use on a Windows 10 PC, I've found Windows Defender to be just fine.

 

[markemark]

You’ve have to consider the bad actors involved in business and home, and what access they have. Very different scenarios needing different layers of security.

Again do post your evidence Defender is less effective than named anti virus.

So that seems to be saying that the business data is worth protecting more due to its value. That is relative. I believe protection is based on the risk of losing it. That matters not where it is located.

I do not know mallware bytes is better than defender as I use neither.

I do know that there are some great anti virus protection. I think the free stuff is limited. The amount spent is based on how much you want to protect your data. I would be more upset losing family photos than spreadsheets at work but both are protected and backed up.

 

[Sharky]

I use AVG. Free av software.
Never knowingly had an issue. Occasionally it tells me that it's detected something and removes it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

So that seems to be saying that the business data is worth protecting more due to its value. That is relative. I believe protection is based on the risk of losing it. That matters not where it is located.

I do not know mallware bytes is better than defender as I use neither.

I do know that there are some great anti virus protection. I think the free stuff is limited. The amount spent is based on how much you want to protect your data. I would be more upset losing family photos than spreadsheets at work but both are protected and backed up.

It’s about proportionate response to the security threats. What have you done about the following at home?

• Identifying mission critical assets
• Data security controls
• Applications security controls
• Endpoint security controls
• Network security controls
• Perimeter security controls include both the physical and digital
• Human security controls

Very little I’d imagine as the full implementation of security controls for business are not appropriate nor affordable nor realistically implementable for the home.

 

[markemark]

That sound like a very thorough risk assessment strategy and what I have done is a less formal assessment that will cover most of that.

As for it being proportionate I whole heartedly agree. My question is to what are you measuring the proportion? How likely to being targeted? Policies in place to reduce exposure? Consequences of being attacked?

My point is those will vary between individual. It is entirely possible that it for some, home security is more important. So to suggest that a free version if fine for home is nonsensical. A free version may be fine for some hone users. But it is inferior to what I have at work and my assessment is that I want to protect me home as much as my business. Thus is mainly due to those who use it at home and how important what I have at home. The proportions based on what I have listed above cones our fairly even.

My backup policy is also similar for both. Ymmv