Microsoft Admits Disabling Anti-Virus Software For Windows 10 Users

 In early June, Kaspersky Lab filed the complaint against Microsoft.

The security company claims that the software giant is abusing its dominant position in the market by directing users to its own antivirus software.

Microsoft says it has implemented defenses to keep Windows 10 users safe.

Detection Rates

In an extensive blog post that does not go directly to Kaspersky or its claims, Microsoft claims that it groups Windows Defender Antivirus with Windows 10 to ensure that each device is protected against viruses and malware.

"We built Windows Defender Antivirus to make a promise to our customers that every Windows 10 device always has protection against viruses and malware ... our test results are among the industry's security leaders, including recent real-world tests Where Windows Defender Antivirus gained more than 99% of detection rates, "writes Rob Lefferts, partner director of the Windows group and devices in business and security at Microsoft.

"We also know that Window customers value the option, which is why we actively participate with and support a community of more than 80 independent software vendors through the Microsoft Virus Initiative (MVI) program.

"This engineering program allows us to share key technical details of Microsoft technologies with our antivirus partners to collaborate on future directions and resolve issues in existing security challenges to protect our shared clients against malicious software."

Temporarily disabled

To combat the 300,000 new malware samples being created and disseminated every day, Microsoft says that it works with external antivirus partners.

The technology giant estimates that about 95% of Windows 10 PCs were using anti-virus software that was already compatible with the latest Windows 10 Creators update.

For applications that were not compatible, Microsoft created a feature that allows users to update their PCs and reinstall a new version of the antivirus software.

"To do this, we temporarily disabled some parts of the AV software when the upgrade started. We did this work in collaboration with the AV partner to specify which versions of their software are supported and where to direct customers after the upgrade," Mr. Lefferts writes