Is Windows Defender Bullshit ?

Orhan Öztaş
3 min readJun 29, 2022

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Have you ever been blocked by Windows Defender while downloading a file from a website that you think is a reliable source? In such cases one thinks “This Windows Defender is bullshit”. Well, is it really so?

What is Windows Defender ?

Formerly known as Microsoft AntiSpyware and Windows Defender, the software was originally based on GIANT AntiSpyware, acquired by Microsoft on December 16, 2004. It was first released on October 24, 2006.

Windows Defender provides free security service with Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems, which are still valid today.

How it works ?

Windows Defender can detect registry changes, silently manage User Account Control requests, and remove malware via the Recovery Environment.

Important Features

Real-time damage protection: Windows Defender works silently in the background, actively scanning your system for running and accessing files, and when it encounters any threats, it stops and quarantines it. If you wish, you can exclude certain files and folders from scanning.

Cloud-based protection: Thanks to this feature, which we recommend keeping active, Windows Defender can send malicious signatures to Microsoft and ensure that all other Windows Defender users can benefit from it. Since antivirus software is always one step behind viruses, this function is critical to respond quickly to pests when they are first released.

Offline scanning (do periodicly, it is recommended) : If you suspect hiding malware on your Windows computer. First close all other programs and then click Scan now. Confirm the choice that you want to scan and let Windows Defender restart the computer. Windows will now reboot but in protected mode, in which it can really scan the computer from the outside. This makes Windows Defender even more powerful in recognizing and especially removing malware. It is advisable to perform this action regularly even without any malware being found.

Limited Periodic Scanning: If you are using any other security software, it is not necessary to disable Windows Defender completely. You can have your computer scanned automatically when not in use, thanks to a new function called “Limited Periodic Scan”.

Windows Defender comes with your operating system as “free”, which is the most important detail. However, according to my own experience and research, it is very suitable for home users and small businesses.

It can perform signature-based and behavior-based analysis. It should be noted that the company that produces the operating system,

Microsoft, is currently producing this security protection. This means that the better you know the operating system, the better you can analyze behavior. In addition to defender, EDR products are recommended for end-user computers in medium and large enterprises.

Conclusion

If you are a home user or a small business, Windows Defender may be suitable for use. Of course, this is not a definitive solution and does not provide you with complete protection.

Today, as internet consumers, we need to be very careful. Cybercriminals have set a trap waiting for you to make a mistake. It is possible for your information to be compromised using vulnerabilities that have not yet been closed (0-day).

Thanks for reading.

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Orhan Öztaş
Orhan Öztaş

Written by Orhan Öztaş

Cyber Security Consultant. Writing articles for helping you about cyber security.

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