Microsoft Releases Windows Defender Browser Extension for Chrome

Megalith

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Microsoft is bringing Windows Defender to Google Chrome with an all-new extension that aims to protect users from phishing, malicious software, and other online threats. Some are claiming that it sends your entire web browsing history to Microsoft, however.

If you click a malicious link in an email or navigate to a site designed to trick you into disclosing financial, personal or other sensitive information, or a website that hosts malware, Windows Defender Browser Protection will check it against a constantly updated list of malicious URLs known to Microsoft.
 
So MS has gone full blown spy/adware. Interesting. The advertisers must be pumping crazy money - but of course Google has shown that quite obviously.
 
Wow! Microsoft must feel awkward in offering software that their user base must first opt into and that those same users can also remove when they've found out what's really going on?! I don't use Edge. I disabled Cortana and sure as hell don't use Defender. This comes off as poorly executed April Fool's joke!
 
My home computers and work computers are all using Defender. It works well enough that we do not plan to switch.
I used to use Symantec endpoint protection, but now I do not bother with it.
 
I use Defender as well as other lite methods of protection in browser and out .. I don't know that I'd use Defender extension in chrome anytime soon though
 
Kaspersky myself.

Tried it once 7,8 years ago? Might be even more; at the time it sucked performance-wise, slowed my PC down considerably, so that was that.
Fast forward to two years back and my getting pissed off with Norton's policies (which by the way, you can no longer alter) and i started trying them all out, one by one.

Have not looked back since, nor will i unless some drastic change occurs; Kaspersky is great today, be it the cheap version (Antivirus) or the proper suite (Internet Security). I wholeheartedly recommend it.

- It does what it should, keep you safe.
- It has opt outs even though, by default, it has you opted out of everything.
- Unlike Norton, BitDefender, etc, it doesn't have policies that help the piggy banks of certain software manufacturers. Whatever horrible theft you're committing by not giving 'x' company your hard earned money, it won't care; or try and stop you.
- It's smarter than any other suite i've tried in regard to what is harmful and what may be harmful. Coupled with the above, this means both peace of mind and an 'install and forget' kind of mentality.
- While the Internet Suite is as expensive/cheap as everyone else's, there is the Antivirus version which is sufficient and equivalent to something like Defender; only significantly cheaper. They don't try to milk you.

And because yanks can occasionally be yanks (bad Russians, etc. etc. [admit it, just because they're Ruskies it's this much easier to give credence to it all]), to spare you the typing:

- You've heard the allegations and you've heard of what they amounted to; what the story is though? Have you read it? The facts, not how they were taken advantage of for political gains.
- If you think Microsoft, Norton, BitDefender or whichever really are any better, allow me to send you your wake up call. :)
 
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How does everyone disable the defender virus, malware and firewall stuff? It's a nightmare going in with gpedit disabling a chunk of options in the registry. I don't trust programs to do it for me.


I use a different computer on my home network to do all the filtering. I use pfsense however that machine has been in a state of flux over the last two weeks as I have been trying OPNsense and ipfire on it.
These are firewall based distro's however they can AV scan and filter web pages before they reach your internal network.
I far prefer this method so my computer can do whatever I want it to do instead of wasting resources doing that stuff while slowing down whatever I am working on or playing.

I feel and wish there was a sure fire way to remove all security related stuff built into windows 10, firewall, AV, malware scanner etc, without having a domain controller doing it.
 
I use Defender along with Malwarebytes premium works really well. I tried Bit defender and Avast but found them too intrusive at least Windows defender doesn't appear to bother Windows Hmm I wonder why......
 
If you don't use Defender, may I ask what you do use? Just curious.
After using Symantec, McAfee and several others both at home and work, I've stuck with Avast for about the last ten years at home (and work shhh). I've found it to be both light and responsive as well as highly effective. It doesn't lag my gaming rig like many of the others do and, unlike my coworkers, I haven't had a virus, malware or port snooping, affect my systems in the time I've been using it.

Edit: Everyone has a favorite and for their own reasons. I recommend trying several and see which one works the best for you;)
 
After using Symantec, McAfee and several others both at home and work, I've stuck with Avast for about the last ten years at home (and work shhh). I've found it to be both light and responsive as well as highly effective. It doesn't lag my gaming rig like many of the others do and, unlike my coworkers, I haven't had a virus, malware or port snooping, affect my systems in the time I've been using it.

Edit: Everyone has a favorite and for their own reasons. I recommend trying several and see which one works the best for you;)

Thanks for responding. Do you use Avast paid, or free? Windows Defender seems to work fine for me, and I use Malware Bytes Free to scan occasionally, but maybe I should give Avast Free a try. I used it many years ago, but I'm sure it has changed a lot. I would never give Norton or McAfee another go again. I actually liked the Kaspersky Free, and used it for several months, but, even though I don't wear a tinfoil hat, I don't believe in tempting fate.
 
Thanks for responding. Do you use Avast paid, or free? Windows Defender seems to work fine for me, and I use Malware Bytes Free to scan occasionally, but maybe I should give Avast Free a try. I used it many years ago, but I'm sure it has changed a lot. I would never give Norton or McAfee another go again. I actually liked the Kaspersky Free, and used it for several months, but, even though I don't wear a tinfoil hat, I don't believe in tempting fate.
I started with the free version and moved to a paid license due to the increased capability and the number of systems I could cover with it. I've had my 77yo mothers computers on just the free version this whole time and, outside of her maliciously clicking on prompts at phishing sites before calling me, I've had minimal issues. The Avast Online Security extension for Chrome basically ended those issues;)

If what you have is working, and you feel good about it, don't feel you need to rock the boat! I can only speak from my perspective which I find changing often and trying new ideas yet returning to what I have plus or minus a tweak or two:confused:
 
By chance, my Mom is also 77. But I live very close to her so keeping her computer safe isn't a problem. Sucks when your parents get old, right?
 
By chance, my Mom is also 77. But I live very close to her so keeping her computer safe isn't a problem. Sucks when your parents get old, right?
So, true! After travelling and living out of state and even out of country, I now live less than a mile from my parents and the home I grew up in. I'm living "Everybody Loves Raymond" daily:ROFLMAO:
 
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