Windows 10: Is WINDOWS 10 Built in Security Sufficient?

Hello All,

I am preparing to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on my Dell Inspiron 560S (64 bit) and have a question about security. I know someone who has a degree in Network Administration (although he doesn't work in that field) who says that the built in firewall and Windows Defender are all you need. Do you agree?

I tried searching the forum to see if this question has been asked and found nothing.

What's the consensus of the group?

Thanks

:)

 

Is anti-virus and security software built-in in Windows 10 S?

We are volunteers willing to help you try to resolve this issue.

Yes, all versions of Windows 10 includes Windows Defender which is a full antivirus in Windows 8/8.1 & 10. You do not need a 3rd party antivirus program nor can you load them. Windows 10 S is limited to those included in the OS and those available through the
Windows Store.

What is Windows 10 S and how is it different from regular Windows 10?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may...

Please let us know the results and if you need further assistance.

 

Is anti-virus and security software built-in in Windows 10 S?

Windows 10 contains Windows Defender it is as good as any 3rd party software, it is updated at least monthly and will keep you safe . . .

Norton will slow down your system considerably!

 

Hi Roadster and welcome to Tenforums.

I'll respectfully disagree with your friend, and suggest that you add some "layers" of protection:

Malwarebytes Antimalware (free version has to be updated and run manually, Pro/paid version works nicely with Defender)
Malwarebytes AntiExploit free
SuperAntiSpyware free (updates and scans are manual)
CryptoPrevent (again, updates are manual in the free version)

Each of these programs has their own specialty, and compliment the basic Defender-Windows Firewall protection. Working together, you should be pretty well protected. Another thing I would recommend is using Firefox with Java & Flash set to "Ask to activate", and the LastPass add-on. As Edge doesn't support extensions yet, I would limit using it for now.

Good luck!

 

Thank you simrick. Just out of curiosity, is there anyone out there using Windows 10 that is using only the built-in Windows security?

 

There are people that use only the basic built in security. Some are happy with it. A lot depends on your surfing habits. If you are cautious you may avoid getting anything nasty. But the odds are against you, even with a layered approach due to the high number of viruses/malware being released every day/hour.

Nothing gets everything 100% of the time. Hence the layered approach is the best.

 

Personally I only use WD plus a free version of Malwarebytes. IMHO, all anti virus softwares are just junks. Never use them, never will.
My only protection is to make at least 2 backup images of Windows using: Macrium Reflect Free in case I got any virus or my PC behaves strangely then it only takes at most 3~5 minutes to get back online since I use SSD's for my Windows and backup drives. Most people might not agree with me and that's fine.

Here's my reasons for not using them:

• I always watch where I surf. If I got a popup that seems suspicious. Open the task manager and kill the browser, don't even answer Yes or No to the question. These answers are sometimes deceiving, Answer Yes is Yes, answer No is still Yes.
• Never open any strange emails. Just delete them.
• Viruses are being created everyday, hour, minute, second... so the Anti Virus software is only good if they have it in their definition database which requires constant updates from you. So where do these companies get the definition from ? The answer is the first person who got it then reported it. If you did not get the update in time, your system is still vulnerable for virus attack. That's why there's different opinions on different Anti Virus softwares.
• Anti Virus software would sometimes slow your PC down to its knee.
• Often causes BSOD.
• If one of the system files got infected by virus and the software will clean it causing missing system file in Windows, in turn causing it to be broken.
• Never install freeware without reading every single screen for other offers.
• Turn off Autorun. Even though it's convenient to have this option, However, Hackers use this as a way to sneak into your PC.

 

I do use the Windows 10 build-in firewall and also MSE. Apart from that i do add EMET as another security layer, malwarebyte anti-malware free edition for additional scanner. With these setup it is good enough for me as home user.

 

Just FYI: Malwarebytes AntiExploit free, SuperAntiSpyware free, and CryptoPrevent are not AVs - they are browser/system protection against unknown attacks that have not been identified yet by the AVs.

 

I will also confirm that Win10 Defender and Win10 Firewall along with the occasional scan of MalewareBytes Free is my primary weapons for protection. MB Free is primarily used to clean malware if I suspect I'm infected. MB Free seems to always get my pc back to a healthy status after it removes all detected malware, so I strongly recommend it as well. Optionally, I also use as an additional layer MalewareBytes Anti-Exploit and Spyware Blaster as passive protection from known browser vulnerabilities.

 

I run Windows 10 with default security settings. However, I run an alternative browser which is 'locked down' pretty tight, also, I don't visit 'social' type sights that are heavy laden with clickable 'nasties'!

 

Well, I decided to ditch every antivirus solution completely and switched to Defender, running alongside Windows Firewall and Malwarebytes Free + Anti Exploit.

I'm starting to adore Defender on just how light it is on my laptop. Its barely noticeable, and honestly the protection isn't bad at all! As many users here previously stated, no antivirus is perfect. It all depends on how you use your computer. So I figured, why splash money on security suites when you can use logic alongside Defender?

Also to note, I'm using Edge browser with SmartScreen turned on and I can say that I am very impressed. On my VM, SmartScreen managed to block every malicious URL before it could fully open! It only missed two samples which eitherway got removed by Defender. So I'm very happy with my settings so far: Windows Defender + Windows Firewall + Malwarebyes Free (For the occasional scan) + Malwarebytes Antiexploit + Edge browser with SmartScreen turned on + Logical thinking. And unlike other solutions/settings, it doesn't eat my computer resources at all. *Smile

PS:
I just came across the new AV-Test results for Windows 10 and I thought you may want to check it out: Test antivirus software for Windows 10 - October 2015 | AV-TEST

As you can see Defender 4.7 moved from 0.5 points for protection on Windows 8.1 to 3.5 on Windows 10. Yay to that! *Party