My Antivirus - Windows Defender

Hell has frozen over once again.

I have been using Avast on my Windows computers for years and it has worked wonders. I have not encountered any infections and it has protected me from several threats that I have encountered.

Since the release of Windows 10 (1607) Anniversary Update, the built-in protection system has taken on a completely different meaning. The constantly updated list of viruses and file scanning without the need to be connected to the Internet have begun to question other free antivirus solutions. What’s more, we are notified of all types of threats in the Windows notification center.

At some point I began to wonder to what extent Windows Defender has become a decent antivirus.

A few years ago, if someone mentioned Windows Defender, you could hear laughter in the audience. However, now, a program perfectly integrated with the system that protects not only against viruses, but also other types of threats. Incidentally, it has more options than the free version of Avast and made people stop laughing.

Of course, it is not easy to erase the negative opinion that this program deserved in the past (which also stuck with me), so I am also trying to overcome it. Microsoft has transformed the entire program into Windows Defender Security Center (Windows Defender security center), but the initial part still calls for solutions that were not entirely successful in the past.

Renowned companies evaluating antivirus programs give this solution very high marks, outclassing other, sometimes very expensive solutions (in the company’s test AV-Test Windows Defender achieved a very good result as for December 2017). A result close to 100% in virus protection is no longer an exception, but has become the rule. What’s more, the protection against spyware built into the system itself, solved with automatic updates from Windows Update, calls into question the need to use other antivirus programs, especially on home computers, although it works just as well in a small company.

My decision when choosing Avast was the fact that it did not use excessive computer resources, especially those not equipped with at least 4 GB of RAM and SSD drive. However, why install something that has fewer options in the free version (free) compared to the solution built into Windows.

It is not without significance that I recommend this solution to anyone whose computer I “look” at for a moment.

What’s more, live virus protection works in cooperation with solutions from Malwarebytes, which is somewhat of a leader when it comes to solutions for other platforms, such as macOS.

Taking a step forward, Microsoft is still trying to convince people to use EDGE (which is a lousy browser) and has decided to protect all those who use the Google Chrome browser, providing an add-on, which will expand the protection possibilities when browsing websites. I sincerely recommend installing it.

However, let’s be honest. Even the best, most expensive and most reputable solution will not protect us from viruses, hackers or data stealers, because the weakest element here is the computer user himself.

We are the ones who thoughtlessly install programs from untrusted sources, click without reading, on everything that comes our way, and then complain that something is wrong. Somehow, I have not been infected with any virus in the last 15 years at least. This does not mean that I have not encountered them in my daily work. Antivirus programs have protected me from this, as well as prudence and logical thinking in what I do on the computer and what sites I visit.

If you have your “favorite” antivirus program installed, I’m not telling you to change it. However, if you’re paying for a solution that you don’t know if it’s fully up to the task, consider using what you have available right away.

Remember, however, that your Windows must be updated to the latest version (currently version 1803 from April 2018).

However, if you decide that it’s worth investing in a paid antivirus solution, consider the Premium solution from Malwarebytes (available for Windows and macOS).

Best regards.