For long time, I am used to entrust security to AV solutions.
Having a yearly budget for AV is considered something normal.
Recently, I was told that Microsoft Windows Defender has improved their quality so much that now they’re on par with other AV solutions. So instead spending money on AV, I should consider to rely on Windows Defender and save the money on renewing AV subscription.
On the internet, there’re various opinions on this. Some agree with the point that Windows Defender is good enough now. While others still stick to the usual maintaining external AV.
Personally, I am quite skeptical about Windows Defender and any Microsoft’s products. On the other hand, could it be true what those people and report says that technically, Windows Defender is of different equation and hence worthy to be considered? Do I miss anything here?
Thanks,
18 Spice ups
Windows Defender scans a user’s email, internet browser, cloud, and apps for the above cyberthreats. However, Windows Defender lacks endpoint protection and response, as well as automated investigation and remediation, so more antivirus software is necessary. So it depends on you, at what point you need an protection from threats. Else, Windows defender is more than enough protect your System.
Greetings,
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For basic protection (as compared to having nothing) Defender is reasonable and does offer at least some protection.
3 Spice ups
itanassa
August 30, 2022, 5:25am
4
nowadays defender does a decent job.
For home use i will use defender. For business use always an AV give more advanced protection plus many other advanced features.
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Defender only protects Edge browser, not other browsers to my knowledge.
I agree that ESET does provide those “extra” stuff. But I don’t see those “extras” are good enough reasons:
monitor all your endpoints from a central location, assign policies, push product updates, initiate scans: doesn’t provide much benefits in our situation.
If you’ve only a small handful of systems to administer then yes the full Eset suite might be a bit overkill. When you’re managing hundreds or thousands of systems then it becomes essential
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No AV is 1005 bulletproof , to be extra safe you need an EDR product to monitor if anything odd happens on your servers.
Patching and hardening also close the gap and prevent virus and malware.
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scottbrindley:
No AV is 1005 bulletproof , to be extra safe you need an EDR product to monitor if anything odd happens on your servers.
Patching and hardening also close the gap and prevent virus and malware.
With today’s threats (especially in a workplace environment), you’re going to want to ensure you’re fully equipped and secure (with multiple layers of protection). Our team is even suggesting going a step further towards utilizing XDR , which builds on the foundation of endpoint detection & response (EDR) by integrating cross-domain security data such as endpoint data, network data and identity data from across the organization, including integrating multi-vendor products."
We explain a bit more on that topic, here, if you’re interested in learning more: Why XDR Should Be on Your SOC Roadmap | CrowdStrike
And for more info on what exactly XDR entails, here’s a handy 101 guide: What is XDR? Extended Detection & Response - CrowdStrike
Hope that helps with your cybersecurity journey!
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I trust Defender…and I use AV software…and a content filter…and a VERY strict firewall, no foreign countries anymore.
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@lynndo5388
What is your situation? How many machines? How many servers? Any special coverage needed PCI, HIPAA etc?
I recommend Sophos with Intercept X, protects from cryptoware/ransomware and the Admin portal is amazing kisses fingers-Italian chef style
Big_Mark
August 30, 2022, 1:13pm
12
Jameswalter1965:
Windows Defender scans a user’s email, internet browser, cloud, and apps for the above cyberthreats. However, Windows Defender lacks endpoint protection and response, as well as automated investigation and remediation, so more antivirus software is necessary. So it depends on you, at what point you need an protection from threats. Else, Windows defender is more than enough protect your System.
Greetings,
It does all of the above if you are using the entire Defender platform on E365
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crazyrabbit
August 30, 2022, 7:39pm
13
Basic Windows Defender is right up there with any of the other “Free” AV. Replacing a managed AV with Windows Defender is going backwards. Just like moving from a managed AV to any other “Free” version AV is going backwards.
As @markrogalski says, the enterprise version of Windows Defender is pretty good as a managed AV, but it does cost a subscription fee (just like all the other ones).
I use Avast Business CloudCare (as my managed service) and Windows Defender (yes, they can overlap without issues) in passive mode.
If you have more than 10 computers you need to manage I always recommend a managed endpoint. If you are unfamiliar with any of them, I would try one out for a year to see if you like it and if not, move to another one. I had Bitdefender for a year and was not happy with the Management Portal. Moved to Avast and find it much more intuitive and much easier to configure/setup.
The reason we pay for an AV, rather than rely on free AV, is for the added protection and reporting they provide. This is a good article to explain the paid vs free AV question. Should you still pay for antivirus software? | Tom's Guide
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Defender is a solid product that you have for free, and I recommend it’s use. I also say it ties in nicely with the rest of the Microsoft stack too and is manageable through Group Policy / Intune too.
I’m very biased on EDR’s, so if you ask me my first answer is always Crowdstrike Falcon. Microsoft Defender ATP / Azure Sentinel is the next one and IMHO, the closest competitor to Crowdstrike. SentinelOne is ok too, but is a bit clunky IMHO.
2 Spice ups
Little Green Man:
Defender is a solid product that you have for free, and I recommend it’s use. I also say it ties in nicely with the rest of the Microsoft stack too and is manageable through Group Policy / Intune too.
I’m very biased on EDR’s, so if you ask me my first answer is always Crowdstrike Falcon . Microsoft Defender ATP / Azure Sentinel is the next one and IMHO, the closest competitor to Crowdstrike. SentinelOne is ok too, but is a bit clunky IMHO.
@billkindle !
OP - If you happen to be interested in the bundles we have available, feel free to look at them here .
2 Spice ups
We have a small office about 20-30 people, with other remote workers about 40 people in different parts of the country.
I don’t see any significant difference in terms of protection between Defender and any other AV. They work pretty similarly, providing the basic protection you expect. What is different, however, is that Defender is less likely to cause compatibility issues with other software, which is a common thing if using other AV software. And the more “protective” such software pretends to be, the more issues it causes.
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I would trust Defender for single computers. But as a network grows, you want to have some kind of centralized management in place.
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Are you headed to SpiceWorld? You might head on over to our booth where we will be discussing our upcoming EDR solution , and ask any further questions about justifying investment into AV. You might also want to see our multiple case studies from companies who have used anti-virus to their benefit, as a showcase to the importance of having a dedicated AV solution. You’ll hear from:
Mitsubishi
McKernan
Saint-Marys
and more
Feel free to tag us back if you have any questions.
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