Digital Frontiers & Discoveries Blog

Hello, this is more of an information post; here is an overview of the various tests that were released by the anti-virus testing lab AV Comparatives . False Positive Test https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/false-alarm-test-march-2024/ The latest False Alarm Test from AV-Comparatives reveals that not all antivirus products are created equal when it comes to avoiding false positives. Some products generated very few false alarms, while others had a much higher rate. This can lead to frustration, unnecessary file deletions, and even system problems. Key Points: False positives are a significant metric for assessing antivirus quality. Products with higher false alarms rates are likely to be less reliable and disruptive to users. FPs are a key quality metric: A lower FP rate indicates better overall antivirus performance. Vendor differences exist: Focus on the significant variation in FP numbers across tested products. Impact on user experience: Highlight how FPs disrupt workflows and e...

             While Microsoft Defender has significantly improved over the years, rising from subpar status to earn respect from independent labs, consumers using the standard version face limitations. Customization options are restricted, potentially hindering the product's overall effectiveness.      The default settings for the built-in Microsoft Defender can be described as passive. They rely on a more reactive approach to threats, putting a heavier emphasis on the user to manually select an action upon detection. This can allow a threat to persist on the system if the user doesn't quickly quarantine or remove it via the Windows Security Center. An example of this is shown below. Credit: Microsoft Community As we can see, the threat in this screenshot is still active - meaning it still posses a threat to the user until action is taken. This is a common issue with Microsoft Defender's default settings on Windows 10 and 11.  In add...