How new malware is detected by Windows 10’s antivirus

Microsoft has updated Windows Defender to perform a quick scan, in less than ten seconds, that detects new malware contained in attachments

Microsoft in the last period has been working a lot on Windows Defender, the antivirus integrated in its operating system. The U.S. computer giant has informed users that thanks to a new update, the program will take only 10 seconds to scan a file.

Microsoft is focusing a lot on computer security related to files and attachments. Also because at the moment they are among the main causes of infections on computers with Windows operating system. Microsoft pointed out, during the presentation of the new anti-malware scanning system, that the strength of Windows Defender lies in its continuous development in the cloud. This allows the antivirus to react promptly even if an unknown malware is found. While checking files for possible infections, Windows Defender also prevents any malicious behavior on the target systems.

How does Windows Defender act

How does the new Windows malware scanning feature act? Simple, when suspicious files are detected they are sent to the cloud where the analysis program does a thorough scan. If the file has unknown malware it is blocked and logged so that if other users receive the same attachment they won't be able to open it, avoiding the virus attack. It would seem like a process that would take hours if not days. However, all the scanning and blocking of the file is done in less than ten seconds. If Windows Defender is enabled the new feature is used by default without the need for the user to activate the scan. While administrators can configure Windows Defender AV to extend the timeout period to one minute. This gives the cloud time to perform further analysis and apply additional techniques to detect new malware. Of course, all these features are only available in the latest Windows 10 update.