Microsoft has
conceded in the past that its anti-malware offerings only provide baseline protection. For Windows 7 and Vista, there’s
Microsoft Security Essentials, while Windows 8 and Windows 10 come with the nearly identical
Windows Defender.
While more advanced users gravitate towards third-party antivirus softwares to gain an edge, many consumers will tend to stick with Microsoft's default options. Now,
AV-Test Institute has published its latest findings, perhaps lending a bit more confidence to the stock malware protection provided by Windows.
Each vendor's score is a sum of three metrics: Threat protection, Performance (system slowdown, speed) and Usability (ease of use, false positives). Each item can attain a rating of 0 to 6, totaling a maximum of 18 points. A minimum of 10 must be achieved to gain a certification rating.
