Antivirus programs such as Microsoft Defender are designed to protect against Trojans, spyware and other online threats. Photo: Robert Günther / dpa-tmn
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(Photo: dpa)
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By the end of June 2021 alone, the AV-TEST Institute, a research institute for IT security from Magdeburg, had registered 1,242 million malware, and around 350,000 new malware programs were added every day. The “quality” of spam e-mails, for example, is becoming more and more professional.
“If cyber criminals hijack an entire computer, they can also take control of the mail system. Then you often only recognize unwanted emails by incorrect formulations, ”explains Andreas Marx from AV-TEST. Overall, one could say that the number of malware programs has leveled off at a high level, but at the same time the number of extortions is increasing.
Free, with good protection but few extras
Antivirus programs are designed to protect against Trojans, spyware and other Internet threats. If you use the Windows 10 operating system, you automatically have Windows Defender on board. However, the reputation precedes this for not offering the best security. Wrongly, says Jan Schüßler from the c’t: “The Defender of Windows has got better and better over the years and the level of protection is certainly on a par with other antivirus programs like Norton or Kaspersky”. In comparison with other antivirus applications, it should also be noted that the Defender does not cost anything extra.
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Computer Bild also confirmed that the Defender had good protection in a comparison test, but there was still room for improvement: “The protection provided by Microsoft cannot keep up completely, because there are only a few extras. In addition, the settings are very hidden, which is why the program is not recommended for laypeople, ”says Andy Voss from Computer Bild. For example, the Defender does not offer a VPN function that is required for anonymous surfing.
There are also no additional functions such as a vulnerability scanner and an update checker. A password manager is also not part of the scope of services. In addition, the Defender does not protect against spam mail. “Overall, the Defender offers good, but rather rudimentary protection because it only fends off malware such as viruses,” says Marx.
High prevalence makes it more interesting for attacks
The widespread use of Microsoft Defender could also lead to an increase in the number of targeted hacker attacks. “The more users use it, the more interesting it becomes for attacks,” says Schüßler. Due to the limited protective screen, AV-Test recommends installing a more comprehensive anti-virus package from another manufacturer. “That costs maybe three to five euros per month, but then it offers very good all-round protection,” says Marx.
“There is of course the option of doing this with programs from different manufacturers. But since almost all manufacturers offer protection packages with licenses for different devices, it is particularly financially worthwhile to rely on one provider, ”says Voss. Extending the Defender protection with a second antivirus program does not work. “If you install another protection program, Windows Defender is automatically deactivated,” explains Voss. At the same time, however, the Defender also automatically steps in if, for example, the license of the other antivirus program has expired.
Use Defender as a supplement
However, it is possible to add the Defender to another protection program. According to Schüßler, this would not result in any performance restrictions. “There is then, for example, the option of running the live scan with the newly installed antivirus program and checking certain folders with the Defender,” says Schüßler. When it comes to being up-to-date, users always have good protection with both Defender and all other antivirus programs.
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