Windows Defender's malware protection still leaves much to be desired after recent evaluation

The AV-TEST ran an evaluation of Windows 8.1 antivirus protection and posted their results yesterday. Previous to this round of tests, the AV-TEST ran evaluations on Windows 7 in January of this year (as Windows 7 is still in broad use), and tested Windows 8.1 again, back in October of 2014. With each test, the results remained relatively disappointing.
 
Microsoft’s Windows Defender came in at a paltry 9.5 points. The overall score was weighted down by an embarrassing “0” in the category of protection. The score of 0 is a bit confusing as, Windows Defender was found to protect 77% of incoming threats. There was a slight uptick from the 69% Windows 7 and Microsoft Security Essentials covered in their January testing.
 
 http://www.winbeta.org/sites/default/files/news/WinDefender.jpg
 
Before you toss your PC in the trash and run to your nearest Apple Store, or worse, decide to get a Chromebook, there a couple of things to note about the Windows Defender score.
 
The first is that Windows has an install base of 1.5 billion users, and the more a platform grows, the bigger a target it becomes. Running from one platform to another, only moves the target. Two, it’s free. Windows Defender is a free piece of software that protects against 77% of attacks. While 77 is less than 100, most users have over half their security taken care of with a program that comes with the system for free. Three, it’s automatic. There are no site and search comparisons; there are no signups or installations. Every so often the antivirus software updates itself and scans your PC.
 
Full Article