If you are running Windows 10 home, the built-in Microsoft Defender security suite may be your best anti-virus option. In a December 2021 ranking of anti-virus software by AV-TEST, Microsoft’s security service – previously known as Windows Defender – performed well against competition across several metrics.
German IT firm AV-TEST compared 20 different anti-virus tools, including some of the biggest names on the market. As has happened in previous tests, Microsoft Defender continues to score high marks in the test.
“During November and December 2021 we continuously evaluated 20 home user security products using their default settings. We always used the most current publicly-available version of all products for the testing. They were allowed to update themselves at any time and query their in-the-cloud services. We focused on realistic test scenarios and challenged the products against real-world threats. Products had to demonstrate their capabilities using all components and protection layers.”
In fact, AV-TEST gives it a score of 18, the highest mark. That means Windows Defender has the highest possible 6 points across the metrics of Performance, Usability, and Protection. Other programs that also took full marks include Bitdefender, Kaspersky, McAfee, Avira, Norton, and ESET.
Some of the major anti-virus tools that had a lower score (the threshold for the test) includes Avast and AVG (17) and Malwarebytes (17.5).
Windows 11
It is worth remembering this test was done on the standard version of Windows 10. I expect AV-TEST will eventually start testing on Windows 11. Back in November, Microsoft released a new version of Defender for its new OS platform.
Of course, the substantial change here compared to the Windows 10 app is the faithfulness to the Windows 11 Flow aesthetic. That means rounded corners and a generally softer look compared to before. It also seems Microsoft Defender on Windows 11 is putting more emphasis on managing security on all devices across platforms.
Tip of the day: Did you know that a virtual drive on Windows can help you with disk management for various reasons? A virtual drive is just simulated by the platform as a separate drive while the holding file might be stored anywhere on your system.
The data in the drive is available in files or folders, which are represented by software in the operating system as a drive. In our tutorial we show you different ways how to setup and use such virtual drives.
Last Updated on April 4, 2022 12:49 pm CEST by Markus Kasanmascheff
