Should I Remove Defender And Install AV?

[ithehappy]

As the title asks. Should I disable Windows 10's Windows Defender and use a custom AV like Bitdefender (anything efficient and lightweight) or something? Or is Windows 10 Defender enough for protecting malware and trojan from internet browsing? Defender is crazy enough already as it conflicts with Roccat's driver, and I was forced to add the software under exclusion list. So God knows how many software are there which might clash with Defender!

Suggestions are welcome.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Can't tell if you read my panicky thread over the last 20 days. Everybody telling me "Oh -- it's your overclock settings -- system getting old -- going south." Nope. It was a combination of video driver, Windows Updates (for October) and Kaspersky IS 2016. What remains of the dual-boot system in which I'd installed KIS for both Win 7 and Win 10 -- is the Win 7 (luckily, although purging the Win 10 OS may have been unnecessary -- might have been fixed the same way).

I reverted the Win 7 installation to MSE protection. The authoritative skinny about it suggests that it has a lower limit on protection than the other add-in AV/firewall options. "Acceptable -- if you're a 'geek'" so says the wisdom. But MSE isn't supported under Win 10.

For this, there is also the advice that Win Defender in Win 10 is more than adequate.

Then, I started looking at reviews for protection options. All the fingers point toward KIS 2017 as -- again -- the top winner in a competition. And I had two months left on the KIS 2016, and incline toward the 5-PC 2-year version of any successor. So I now have to experiment with a trial KIS 2017 or Kaspersky "Total Security" to make sure the system that gave me trouble this month will be happy with it.

so there's a different twist in addition to your software compatibility issues with Defender.

 

[RLGL]

Defender is a good program. There is a bunch of issues with AV programs etc with the preview versions. I have been using defender for over a year and had no problems.
Post the problem with the driver in the 10 Feedback Forum

 

[ithehappy]

I have decided to use a third party anti virus. Just not sure which one to try, Avast or Avira, both have free versions which I could try first.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

That's my own choice.

Defender is supposed to be totally adequate for Windows 10, so you could get by without purchasing a third party AV/Firewall. I've used Avast as well as ESET NOD32.

My problem with KIS 2016/2017 (either version) derived from some conflict between two of some fifteen KIS components: the firewall, and "application control." KIS support has my sys-info dump file, and they will sort it out. Probably something like ASUS Suite, which runs at boot-time. But KIS re-enables Windows Firewall for you, and all the other components work.

I feel better about staying with Kaspersky.

It would be so nice if you could count on MS to produce and maintain a "highly rated" security program as opposed to what they admitted they were doing with MSE: "set a minimum standard." Defender for Win 10 comes closer to the ideal. But there are too many things my KIS protection does that Defender doesn't do.

 

[XavierMace]

It would be so nice if you could count on MS to produce and maintain a "highly rated" security program as opposed to what they admitted they were doing with MSE: "set a minimum standard." Defender for Win 10 comes closer to the ideal. But there are too many things my KIS protection does that Defender doesn't do.

Apples and oranges. Defender is free and part of the OS. MSE was an addon but still free. What free options are there that compare? These days it seems a lot of people (not meaning you) don't really know what their security software does but figure it's got to be good because it's constantly popping up telling them it's doing things. KIS drives me crazy every time I use my parents computer. Even just something simple like trying to place an order on Amazon, KIS managed to interfere and annoy the crap out of me.

Information Security in general makes me laugh because people talk about wanting good security, up until they have to pay for it or have to learn how to use something new. I've been steering people to Sophos UTM's as that covers both a router/firewall as well as an A/V client. More importantly it will stop most security risks (from an every day user perspective) before it even gets to the computer. But despite how easy it is to use by firewall/UTM standards, it's still too much for the average user. My dad documented the login for the one I setup at his house. He's never even tried to log into it.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Tell me more about these Sophos UTMs. Is that a 1U box like a "barracuda'" that you put on your network gateway?

I'm thinking I need something more than just Win10's firewall and anti-malware, after getting hacked, and apparently backdoored, shortly after using Win10 on my primary box.

 

[cbn]

Tell me more about these Sophos UTMs. Is that a 1U box like a "barracuda'" that you put on your network gateway?

I'm thinking I need something more than just Win10's firewall and anti-malware, after getting hacked, and apparently backdoored, shortly after using Win10 on my primary box.

There is free software version you can install on your PC:

https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-utm-home-edition.aspx

I have been meaning to give something like this a try on an AMD cat core computer I have. Previously I was considering Untangle.

 

[XavierMace]

There is free software version you can install on your PC:

https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-utm-home-edition.aspx

I have been meaning to give something like this a try on an AMD cat core computer I have. Previously I was considering Untangle.

Just to be clear for anybody else reading it, yes it installs on a regular computer but that computer will be dedicated for the UTM, it's replacing Windows. Also, keep in mind it needs at least two ethernet ports (one for internet in, one for LAN out). Alternatively, you can run it as a VM (that's what I'm doing).

Last but not least, you'll have to figure out what to do about wireless, assuming you want wireless in your house. I replaced my Cisco Meraki AP's with Sophos AP15's because of their integration with the UTM and the crappy range of the Meraki's. I would have liked to go with AP55's instead of the AP15's but that over doubles the price of the AP. The AP15's are $130 on Amazon right now.

Regarding the UTM itself. Keep in mind the more features you enable the more grunt the box will need to keep up. Some of the features/modules (such as IPS if I recall) are single threaded, so you'll be wanting some clock speed, not just cores. Mine's running on 4 vCPU's (host is running Xeon L5640's, 2.66Ghz) and 8Gb of RAM.

That's with firewall, IPS, wireless protection, endpoint protection, and remote access turned on. As you can see, I gave it far more space than it needs. Web filtering is turned off, but even with it off, it still blocks high risk websites. I was running pfSense as a VM prior to Sophos. Between the two, I haven't had a physical router in like 5 years. pfSense is solid too, but Sophos is far more user friendly and has quite a bit more features out of the box. In general, it's just a more polished product. pfSense is a bit more resource friendly though.

 

[MongGrel]

Just use Defender myself with WIN 10.

But I run Malwarebytes about once a month also.

 

[sttubs]

I use Avast Free & Malwarebytes Pro and that's a good combo. Safe surfing is the key though.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Apples and oranges. Defender is free and part of the OS. MSE was an addon but still free. What free options are there that compare? These days it seems a lot of people (not meaning you) don't really know what their security software does but figure it's got to be good because it's constantly popping up telling them it's doing things. KIS drives me crazy every time I use my parents computer. Even just something simple like trying to place an order on Amazon, KIS managed to interfere and annoy the crap out of me.

Information Security in general makes me laugh because people talk about wanting good security, up until they have to pay for it or have to learn how to use something new. I've been steering people to Sophos UTM's as that covers both a router/firewall as well as an A/V client. More importantly it will stop most security risks (from an every day user perspective) before it even gets to the computer. But despite how easy it is to use by firewall/UTM standards, it's still too much for the average user. My dad documented the login for the one I setup at his house. He's never even tried to log into it.

The pictorial link I found looks like a wired and wireless router. So . . . it's a piece of hardware -- this Sophos UTM thing?

KIS can be annoying as you say. People like my elderly Moms doesn't know what to do with the pop-up windows of warning.

 

[XavierMace]

Sophos sells prebuilt units or you can install the UTM software on an x86 PC from that link cbn posted.