Windows 10 has a built-in Defender, nicknamed Defender, which is where the question arises: is it necessary to install a third-party antivirus on the Windows 10? Let's compare the situation with sexual relations; they were born before the era of historical materialism and allow us to make a more or less real comparison on grounds that are interesting for the inquisitive reader of the Zegeberg blog. Let's look at the rules for preventing sexually transmitted diseases from infecting your computer, and find out the pros and cons of the built-in Defender and third-party antivirus programs.
How to avoid getting infected by viruses
By following simple hygiene rules, which are aggravated by good upbringing, you can minimize the infection of your computer with viruses even without an antivirus. Here are the basic laws of behavior and choice of sexual partner:
- Block autorun programs from disks and flash drives,
- Until you are of full age, do not access porn sites,
- Do not follow unknown links from your email,
- Keep the built-in Windows firewall turned on.
Compliance with these rules means a sharp reduction in the likelihood of your computer becoming infected with viruses and Trojans, regardless of the anti-virus program, its presence or absence. If you can’t live without porn sites, then enable and install all possible compatible software to protect the OS, however, this may also fail. Why are these types of sites dangerous? – This is karma, punishment for sexual incivility.
What happens if you disable Windows Defender
Unfortunately, the Internet has not become any safer over time. On the contrary, attackers are finding more and more new ways to infect the computers of ordinary people. However, protection is available not only in Windows 10, but also in any browser you use, be it Edge, Chrome or Yandex.
However, web browser security will not protect you from downloading and installing software that can interfere with the operation of your device. You won't be able to do this without Windows Defender. Only he or a third-party antivirus can protect your privacy.
Built-in Defender
By default, Windows 10 has Defender installed, which doesn’t warm your soul much, but doesn’t interfere either. If the rules above are followed, then it will be enough for the eyes, if not, then the Defender will be of no use. Turned on Windows for the first time? Go to settings (Start menu and gear), find the “Updates and security” item there, go to Windows Security. If everything is green, then the trick is in the bag, if not, then turn on the Defender and pray.
Defender updates itself if you don't block Windows updates, and doesn't bother you with pop-up ads. On the other hand, Defender rarely updates databases and provides weak protection against zero-day viruses.
If everything is OK with your upbringing and you don’t violate the rules for using the Internet, then Defender replaces a condom and doesn’t give a 100% guarantee, but you sleep better after sex.
What antivirus manufacturers are silent about
Not a single antivirus is capable of preventing zero-day vulnerabilities and allows encryption viruses to pass almost unhindered (in fact, they are always launched by the user himself, although modern systems warn about receiving a file from unreliable sources). Encryptors are most often distributed by mail, ostensibly on behalf of the tax office, the court or your friends, under the guise of subpoenas, accounting documents, or anything that does not raise suspicion.
There is no effective protection against this infection other than common sense. Preventive protection systems do not respond instantly when files are changed massively. No one can guarantee that valuable files will not be encrypted first, and the Dr.Web website says that it can help only in 10% of cases (in reality, even less).
But I digressed somewhat from the main topic; I simply could not ignore this question, the essence of which boils down to the following statement:
Having an antivirus does not guarantee the security of your data!
Third party antiviruses
Installing an additional antivirus is not sex with a faithful wife, but it is better than dating a stranger with the support of a condom, although I advise you to get a faithful wife. Be sure to install a third-party antivirus if you are debauched on the Internet, launch programs from media by default, and generally surf wherever and however you want.
The main requirements for an antivirus are as simple as the top of a rake; AV must:
- Do not overload the OS,
- Update,
- Don't bother with advertising
- Have clear settings
- Be included.
If an antivirus causes the system to slow down, then it is better for it to become infected from time to time than to hang and prevent you from using the computer. It’s also of no use if AV doesn’t update the database - for normal protection, anti-virus software must be updated every day! In addition, look at the settings, if you don’t know where to do this, then leave everything as default, just make sure that the antivirus is turned on (a red icon in the tray is bad).
What antiviruses do I recommend? I recommend Kaspersky and Panda, although I haven’t used them for a year, since I’ve learned to get past infections without radicalism. I always have the firewall and Defender turned on, and from time to time I download and run the AdwCleaner program. Please note “downloading” as it is updated regularly. AdwCleaner does an excellent job of finding spyware and advertising scum such as malware, and you can download it from the link https://adwcleaner.ru.uptodown.com/windows.
Do I need to install antivirus on Windows 10?
If Windows Defender is so reliable, then there is no need to install a third-party program? In general, this question can be answered in the affirmative. However, Microsoft's standard Defender has a flaw in detecting Layer 0 attacks. In this regard, the built-in tool's score is only 88%, which is considered a poor result.
For example, one of the most popular antiviruses, Avast, recognizes 98.8% of hidden threats. And Kaspersky Internet Security performs better than others, scoring 100% both in detecting common threats and in preventing hidden attacks. Another thing is that the average user who does not visit suspicious sites and installs applications only from trusted sources will not notice the difference. Therefore, let everyone determine for themselves whether they need to purchase a third-party antivirus license.
Instead of an obituary
Let's summarize our lecture on sex education for Internet citizens.
Total:
- A system with the built-in Defender disabled (for example, through gpedit.msc - administrative templates - Windows components - Defender antivirus program - disable), without a third-party antivirus and if the rules for using the Internet are not followed - this is debauchery everywhere, always and with anyone,
- Compliance with the rules of using the Internet is intercourse after slowly choosing a partner, but without means of protection,
- Using Defender Windows is sex with a condom, but with a dubious partner,
- The combination of Defender and a third-party antivirus against the background of autorun blocking and in the absence of interest in suspicious sites is a sex scene in which faithful spouses play the main roles.
I note that even in the latter case, no one will give a 100% guarantee, as Sarah said about Abram, “he is a faithful husband, but inquisitive and loves to compare.” I would like to give advice on sleeping with a condom and with my wife, but how we will then reproduce is the question.
Is Windows Defender reliable?
You probably don’t need to explain to anyone that the vast majority of antiviruses are paid. For a long time, users were forced to purchase a license for a year or another period at their own expense to protect their computer. But Windows 10 has a built-in defender that doesn’t require a penny from the computer owner. But is this method of fighting viruses really reliable?
First, don't make the mistake of thinking that you don't pay to use a standard defender. Its price is already included in the price of licensed Windows 10, and the operating system itself can be pre-installed on the computer with an appropriate markup. Be that as it may, this does not say anything about the level of security with Windows Defender on board. An overview of the functions and features of the defender will be much more informative.
On a note. Sometimes the built-in defender makes mistakes, blocking safe files and applications. However, antiviruses and other developers are not without this problem.
A standard protection tool, similar to paid antiviruses, can monitor threats in real time or perform a full scan of the device at the user’s request. If we talk about specific numbers, then it’s worth turning to a study based on the AV-Test test. It shows that the pre-installed defender recognizes 99.8% of common threats, meaning the risk of infecting your computer is minimal, and Windows Defender can be used as a replacement for its paid counterpart.
Arguments for
Now let’s voice the arguments of those who, when asked whether Windows 10 needs a third-party antivirus or not, are categorically FOR!
- If the hardware allows it, additional protection is needed. Fraudsters are so sophisticated these days that upgrading your security certainly won't hurt;
- Good anti-virus software with excellent protection options for surfing the Internet is a must for people who are forced to regularly open new links sent to them, make a lot of online payments, and visit unfamiliar resources;
- Additional protection is needed for organizations where it is important to provide an excellent level of information protection. And also for companies that may become a potential target of interest for various hacker groups.
So, is it necessary to install an antivirus on Windows 10, let's draw a conclusion! Yes, such utilities really load the system, are full of advertising, overloaded with options, annoyingly offer paid features and often respond to false alarms. The native antivirus on a laptop with Windows 10 practically does not take away from the operating system’s performance, reliably catches viruses and blocks dangerous sites. Therefore, the final decision should be made based on your circumstances. The more risky your online activities, the more you need additional security software, and vice versa. In a word, find that golden mean between reasonable necessity and paranoid delirium. Good luck with your decisions!
Windows Defender is not a serious solution?
I don’t know why, but the lion’s share of Windows 10 owners believe that Windows Defender is not a serious solution and give preference to a third-party company, naively believing that this very company has some of its own secret technologies to combat Internet threats, against the background of which, Microsoft's built-in antivirus smokes on the sidelines.
Believe me, Microsoft is one of the world's largest corporations, which has all the resources to support its product at the level of top solutions offered by private companies, and in many cases it can be head and shoulders above.
In order not to be unfounded, I will attach screenshots of the latest research from the German independent organization AVTEST, which tests and evaluates antivirus software for the Windows, MACOS and Android operating systems.
This is not some fancy certificate for you, certification from AVTEST is recognized by all antivirus companies in the world, and leading security specialists rely on it as a standard.
Let's take a screenshot of testing antivirus programs in June 2019, conducted by AVTEST.
What do we see? And we see that based on the results of three disciplines: Protection, Performance and Usability, Windows Defender receives the maximum rating along with such eminent manufacturers as Kaspersky Anti-Virus, F-secure, Symantec.
What a twist.
In February 2022, Windows Defender also shows excellent results, only slightly inferior to Avira, Kaspersky, F-secure, Viper Security.
You yourself can always keep up to date with the latest antivirus software tests; to do this, go to the website https://www.av-test.org/ and select the section that interests you.
On the website you can study in detail what criteria are used for testing for each product and what tests are included in these three disciplines.
