In the early 2000s, the security of the Windows operating system relied heavily on third-party antivirus software. In 2009, Microsoft first introduced Security Essentials as free antivirus software for Windows PCs. In the following years, Microsoft developed Security Essentials into a robust product that even surpassed other antivirus industry leaders in AV-TEST certification.
With Windows 8, Microsoft replaced Security Essentials with Windows Defender. With Windows 10, Microsoft made Windows Defender an umbrella brand for several security products, and all Windows 10/11 PCs now come with Windows Defender Antivirus built-in.
Microsoft recently published a blog post explaining how Microsoft Defender Antivirus protects Windows 10 and Windows 11 users from keylogger and screen scraper malware. Keylogger malware can record all keystrokes, clipboard data, and screenshots on a PC, while a screen scraper can take screenshots and record videos of what"s happening on your PC"s screen.
Microsoft mentioned that Microsoft Defender Antivirus uses AI, ML, and the cloud-based Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph to block malware in milliseconds once it"s detected. Additionally, Defender AV can even analyze behaviors and process trees to stop fileless malware and human-operated attacks.
Here"s how Windows Defender Antivirus protects Windows 10 and Windows 11 users from keylogger malware:
- When a PC is powered on, Windows uses Secure Boot, Trusted Boot, and Measured Boot to verify whether the expected firmware, bootloader, kernel, drivers, and anti-malware software are loaded. This prevents malware from affecting the boot sequence and attempting to compromise the PC even before Microsoft Defender Antivirus starts up.
- Once the PC starts, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will use multiple detection engines to block malware when detected.
- The Tamper protection feature prevents features such as virus and threat protection from being turned off or modified by malware.
- Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevents malware from being downloaded. This feature works even if Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time scanning is turned off.
- For advanced security, Microsoft recommends using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint in addition to the built-in Defender Antivirus.
You can learn more about Windows 11"s security features here. With its multi-layered defense, Windows Defender Antivirus offers robust protection against keyloggers and other threats, demonstrating Microsoft"s commitment to user security.
Source: Microsoft