Windows - Defenseless

By Kevin Judge

If you are confused about what antivirus protection is provided by Windows, don't feel bad. Microsoft has changed its strategy and product name several times over the years. For Windows 7 they bundled an antivirus system with a package of applications called Windows Essentials that you installed separate from the operating system.

With Windows 8 the antivirus comes with installation, but has been renamed Windows Defender. If that sounds familiar, Windows Defender is also the name of an antispyware program Microsoft offers for older versions of Windows.

Now that we have that cleared up, is it the right protection for you? Well, before you answer that you should ask yourself, "how seriously do I take internet security?"

Windows Defender is intended to provide a minimum amount of protection for Windows users that would not otherwise use antivirus, either because of the cost or a lack of understanding of the threats. In fact, it will automatically uninstall if you install a third party security suite.

There are thousands of new viruses and other malware are being launched into the world every day by bad guys who want to control your computer and rip you off. They can destroy your data, steal your files and capture your login credentials to networks and web sites. They will drain bank accounts and run up victim's credit cards.

Can you risk being a victim?

Windows Defender uses a standard blacklist system that compares files to a list of known malware to identify threats. That will catch most, but not all threats. It requires that a threat is identified, diagnosed and the list updated. Unlike other security systems, Windows Defender does not include intrusion detection or a sandbox for safely running questionable programs.

Without a sandbox you will always be vulnerable to zero day exploits, previously unknown security flaws in popular web software that are exploited by hackers for nefarious ends. Java, Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash have all had numerous zero day exploits over the past few years that require you to have the latest patch. This has become so serious that many people recommend only running your browser in a sandbox.

The best antivirus system adds a concept called whitelisting to the traditional blacklist. The whitelist is a file of known valid programs. It is used as part of a process of analyzing programs that are not found on the blacklist file. Over 50,000 new viruses and malware are release into the world each day so no blacklist can be 100% up to date. The whitelist allows the scanner to run programs without further interrogation.

For files that are not on either a blacklist or whitelist, leading antivirus programs will analyze program behavior for signs of malicious intent. Programs with sandbox will run suspected programs in safety in the sandbox where they cannot make any changes to your system or harm any other files.

When you consider all of the threats that exist on the internet, the very minimal protection provided by Windows Defender is hardly worth considering. Of course, many of us are budget conscience and do not want to pay high prices for software license. Most of the leading makers of internet security software offer their products on a subscription basis where you only get full use of the program and services for an annual fee.

Posted By Lotfi Ben Taleb

Tunisian Blogger obsessed with technology news and innovations around the world. contact me

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