14 DAY TRIAL // The most recent antivirus test performed by AV-TEST shows that Windows Defender has improved substantially lately, and somewhat surprisingly, it’s closer to becoming the top security product worldwide.
Even though this may sound totally unexpected for those who’re used to Microsoft’s antivirus lacking in terms of performance as compared to third-party solutions, the July/August research puts Windows Defender among the top performers.
Windows Defender scored 17.5 points out of a maximum of 18, with six points for protection, six points for usability, and 5.5 points for performance. With some improvements in the performance department, Windows Defender could become as advanced as leaders Bitdefender and Kaspersky.
How Windows Defender performed
Windows Defender offered flawless performance in the protection against 0-day malware and the detection of widespread and prevalent 4-week-old malware. All samples were detected and blocked by Microsoft’s antivirus in both the July and the August tests.
When it comes to performance, Windows Defender impressed in all but one tests. The app’s impact on system performance when launching popular websites, downloading files, or starting apps is lower than the industry average, but on the other hand, it reached higher figures in the case of installation of frequently-used apps.
As for usability, Windows Defender obtained nearly flawless results here too. It generated zero false warnings or blockages when visiting websites, and just a single false detection of legitimate software as malware during a system scan. This only happened in the August test, while in July, its performance was flawless.
Windows Defender also offered zero false warnings concerning certain actions carried out while installing and using legitimate software, and also issues no blockages in the same scenario.
AV-TEST now lists Windows Defender as a top product and it offered the antivirus its certification, which does nothing more than to highlight how advanced Microsoft’s solution has become.
