Windows Defender is a Microsoft security software product that is included in the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating system. It is also available as an option download for the Windows XP system. The program is a anti-spyware program that can scan a computer system for malicious software and delete or quarantine the findings.
Windows Defender comes with the usual options to automatically update the program and schedule regular system scans to protect the computer system. Default actions for low, medium and high alerts can be defined that will be executed by the anti-spyware program automatically.
Microsoft’s anti-spyware solution comes with the interesting advanced tool Software Explorer which can display extensive information about startup programs, currently running programs, network connected programs and Winsock service providers.
Each program and provider is sorted by company which makes it easier to find non-Microsoft programs that are running or connected to the computer system.
Microsoft has improved Windows Defender over the years. The company did receive lots of criticism in the beginning which can be attributed to a low spyware detection rate. Several anti-spyware products have performed better in tests, outlined here or here. Please note that the tests linked in this article have been performed about 10 months ago and that the situation may have changed in the mean time.
Which leads to the question: Are you running anti-spyware software? If so which?
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- The Media Defender Story continues
- Remove Fake Antivirus Software Programs
- Free Spyware Removal Tools
I’ve removed Windows Defender from all my units. Microsoft now has a habit of changing Defender’s signatures so that any firewall other than Windows Firewall will list each update of Defender as a different program requesting access to the web. Soon, the firewalls’ list of allowable programs mushrooms into 30+ Windows Defenders entries.
I know that windows defender is not very popular, but still I like it and use this program for more then one year, and I’m sure it protects my PC very well since I never had a single problem. I’m also sure Windows Defender is disliked mostly just because it comes from Microsoft, but I don’t share that point of view since Microsoft is also able to create a decent free program.
I run Spyware Terminator for some time, but than stopped to use it.
The first rule of security for me is “Use as less MS programs as you can“.
Don’t use IE.
Don’t use Outlook
Use independent firewall instead of built-in.
Try to don’t use MS Office (use OpenOffice where you can).
My anti-malware bundle is:
Comodo Internet Secutity
Clamwin
Winpatrol
{and various other tools, but I use them rarely}
It is not very good protection, – but as I do not behave in risky way, my chances to catch some malware is low anyway..
Only two cases it 9 years – one of them was some harmless trojan, brought in by my wife, and other was the famous Windows network worm (and I could blocked it with firewall but made mistake allowing access for intranet address of my colleague).
My mama told me: “Check with professionals at http://www.av-comparatives.org/
and don’t you t listen to or read any marketing spiel.”
i would like windows defender