Microsoft Defender is officially a top-rated antivirus option and now offers enhanced mobile network protection for iOS and Android users

Microsoft’s new security suite, Microsoft Defender has been impressing users and reviewers alike since it launched. It is free for all Microsoft 365 subscribers and offers a boost in security performance over Windows Defender, which comes as the standard cybersecurity suite for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. It now looks like the free security offering has some official plaudits too as it has scored highly in one of the industry’s recognized anti-virus comparisons. Let’s take a look.

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AV-TEST is an independent IT-Security Institute that puts prominent cybersecurity programs through their paces. In a recent Advanced Threat Protection Test Against Ransomware, Microsoft Defender scored in the top bracket for the protection offered for both personal and business and enterprise users. This means that the free offering from Microsoft is up there with premium options like Kaspersky, Avast, Symantec, and AVG.

AV-TEST describes the Threat Protection Test like this:

“All the products have to successfully defend against ransomware in 10 real-life scenarios under Windows 10. The test involves threats such as files containing hidden malware in archives, PowerPoint files with scripts or HTML files with malicious content.”

In the personal user test, Microsoft Defender was able to detect the threat at the initial point of access with just one threat making it to the Execution stage before it was detected and stopped. In the business and enterprise user test, the threat never made it past the initial point of access.

In other Microsoft Defender news, Microsoft has recently announced that the program is getting advanced End Point protection that will help it combat network attacks on Android and iOS devices. In the blog post, announcing the update, Microsoft said it will provide:

1. Protection against rogue Wi-Fi-related threats and rogue hardware like pineapple devices
2. Notifications when a Wi-Fi-related threat is detected
3. An in-app guided experience to connect to secure networks
4. Remediation options to change networks when a network is determined as unsecure or suspicious
5. A medium priority alert when a suspicious network is detected, and an informational alert when an open network is detected.

This new feature is mostly an enterprise-level upgrade as it helps protect networks from being exploited via their weakest point. If you like the sound of Microsoft Defender keeping you and your network safe, you should read our guide, which will help you set up Microsoft Defender for maximum protection.