IT Consultant

AaronSSH

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We have used Symantec Endpoint Protection for antivirus for the last 10 years. But now that Windows Defender keeps getting better and better (specifically <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-sandboxes-windows-defender/" rel="ugc">the new sandboxing</a>) I am considering abandoning Symantec. The reason we haven't been able to make the switch yet is that I need the central notifications, so that as the admin I know of every infection, and also need to verify that definitions are updating on all PCs. <br />
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I once heard something about a third party package that uses the Defender engine but adds a management layer on top of it. What are some packages that do this? Any recommendations?
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We have used Symantec Endpoint Protection for antivirus for the last 10 years. But now that Windows Defender keeps getting better and better (specifically the new sandboxing (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-sandboxes-windows-defender/)) I am considering abandoning Symantec. The reason we haven't been able to make the switch yet is that I need the central notifications, so that as the admin I know of every infection, and also need to verify that definitions are updating on all PCs. 

I once heard something about a third party package that uses the Defender engine but adds a management layer on top of it. What are some packages that do this? Any recommendations?

What is a good tool to manage and centrally administer Windows Defender?

Anti-virus software was originally developed to detect and remove computer viruses. However, with the proliferation of other kinds of malware, antivirus software started to provide protection from other computer threats. In particular, modern antivirus software can protect from malicious browser helper objects (BHOs), browser hijackers, ransomware, keyloggers, backdoors, rootkits, trojan horses, worms, malicious layered service providers (LSPs), dialers, fraud tools, adware and spyware. Some products also include protection from other computer threats, such as infected and malicious URLs, spam, scam and phishing attacks, online identity theft (privacy), online banking attacks, social engineering techniques, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), botnets and DDoS attacks.

Anti-Virus Apps

This topic area includes legacy versions of Windows prior to Windows 2000: Windows 3/3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98, plus any other Windows-related versions including Windows Mobile.

Windows OS

A personal computer is a general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities and price make it useful for individuals, and is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer time-sharing models that allowed systems to be used by many people, usually at the same time. Personal computers may be connected to a local area network (LAN), either by a cable or a wireless connection, and through that to the Internet. A personal computer may be a laptop computer or a desktop computer running an operating system such as Windows, Linux or Macintosh OS.