I guess that happens when you don't use the built-in security.
Ummm, no. It happens if you (you, as in people in general) simply don't look. And IMO, that's okay. We don't need to.
I used to check regularly way back when I first started using Defender with W8. But after checking I don't know how many times and seeing
every time that it had scanned in the last few days (and found nothing malicious), I stopped checking and simply assumed it had recently scanned.
Now to that, I generally don't like to
assume as that has bitten me in the a$$ too many times in the past. But I have no problem assuming, in this case, for several reasons.
In no particular order:
First - supplemental scans (either automatic with Premium or manual with Free) with my secondary scanner, Malwarebytes has revealed that neither Defender nor me ever, as in never-ever let anything malicious come through. Worst case was Malwarebytes tagged a couple "
wanted" potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that I intentionally downloaded and installed and knew were safe.
Second - and perhaps more significantly - it is important to note that supplemental scans with a secondary scanner to verify our primary scanners (regardless are primaries of choice) have done their jobs are (or should be!) just for the user's "peace of mind".
Why? Because if your primary scanner keeps letting malicious code through, it is time to get a different primary scanner and/or it is time for you to change your computing habits. That is, it is time to learn how to "practice safe computing" (keeping our systems and security current and avoid being click-happy on unsolicited links), and to become habitually disciplined (anal!) at practicing safe computing.
Also, another reason supplemental scans are primarily for "peace of mind" is because "in theory" they are not needed. Why? Because any good real-time anti-malware solution, including Defender, is already scanning our systems in real-time. They scan everything coming in and going out of our systems through every I/O. And any good solution is already constantly monitoring the computer's operating environment for any "suspicious behavior" or activity.
So if our security has already ensured nothing malicious came
into our systems, why scan again to make sure nothing is
on our systems - except for "peace of mind"?
Now I typically am the first to remind others that "theory" and "real-world" often don't jive. But I have been using Defender since it first came out with W8 in 2012. And again, in those 9 years, supplemental scanning with Malwarebytes (and scheduled scans with Defender) has never found anything malicious on any of my personal systems, or any of the 30 or so friends/family/client systems I am still responsible for. I consider that a pretty good track record.
Does that mean I am going to remove those "unnecessary" and "redundant" supplemental Defender and Malwarebytes scans from Task Scheduler? Nope!
Why? Because "peace of mind" gives me "peace of mind"!
