PCWorld outlines five essential Windows Defender configuration changes to optimize security and performance on new Windows PCs. Key adjustments include disabling redundant system tray icons, turning off unnecessary "no threats found" notifications, and enabling Controlled Folder Access for ransomware protection. Strategic exclusions for trusted files and adjusting Core Isolation settings can improve performance while maintaining robust built-in antivirus protection. Windows Defender is a capable antivirus solution built into Windows itself. Unless you've installed a different antivirus program on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, your PC is using it right now.

From face recognition to dynamic lock, there are options you may be unfamiliar with. Are you dealing with a Windows PC or laptop that won't stop crashing? Maybe your PC is constantly freezing or displaying error messages. We know how frustrating a PC that won't work right can be. Luckily, there are some easy ways to fix a Windows PC that is consistently crashing.

What do they all have in common? If you've been paying attention to cybersecurity news this past year, then you already know. All of them have experienced truly staggering data breaches in 2020. Hackers have learned to deploy every technology and trick up their sleeves to steal data, cause disruption, and exploit the billions of people out there just trying to use the internet. Fortunately, the last few years have seen the rise of new technologies that finally give us an effective way of fighting back against hackers.

What do they all have in common? If you've been paying attention to cybersecurity news this past year, then you already know. All of them have experienced truly staggering data breaches in 2020. Hackers have learned to deploy every technology and trick up their sleeves to steal data, cause disruption, and exploit the billions of people out there just trying to use the internet. Fortunately, the last few years have seen the rise of new technologies that finally give us an effective way of fighting back against hackers.

AI is fast becoming an amazing asset, having achieved superhuman levels of performance in domains such as image recognition, Go, and even poker. Many are excited about the future of AI and humanity. At the same time, there is a general sense that AI does suffer from one pesky flaw: AI in its current state can be unpredictably unreliable. The classical example is the Jeopardy! IBM Challenge, during which Watson, the IBM AI, cleaned the board with ease, only to miss the "Final Jeopardy!" question, which was under the category of US Cities: "Its largest airport is named for a World War II hero; its second largest for a World War II battle."

Machine-learning has become one of the biggest buzzwords in cyber security, with almost every maker of a product in this sector touting it as part of their detection capability. A recent example of that turned up last week in a blog from Microsoft describing how in May Windows Defender spotted something suspicious in a small-scale email campaign purportedly from a landscaping business in Calgary. Microsoft's machine learning systems stopped the mail, which asked target victims to review an attached PDF document. It turned out the mail was coming from a spoofed address of the landscaping business. More than that, it was a spear phishing campaign to around 80 persons or firms.

It said the attack was first noticed at noon on March 6, when Windows computers using Windows Defender antivirus began to report a new and rapidly growing campaign. Defender began to analyse and block the attack, initially removing it from over 80,000 computers. Over the course of the next 12 hours, the malware proliferated through Russia, Turkey and Ukraine. At least 400,000 machines were infected. The attack was unusually aggressive and spread far more rapidly than typical malware outbreaks.

Microsoft will keep updating Windows 10, and we'll keep you up to date on what you need to know. This tutorial was updated on Nov. 7, 2017, with the latest information.

Windows Defender is using machine learning in a novel way too. "Our historical detection capability ensures new detection rules apply to up to six months of stored data to detect attacks that previously went unnoticed," the post reads. More than that, Windows defender has a few new tricks for security teams to see what's going on at the time of an attack. The new tricks even allow them to ban a particular file from a network and grab forensic info off of a particular computer using what sounds like bait. If you're interested in your machine joining the some two million others with Defender installed, or, just want a peek at the future, you can register for beta access at the source link below.

In its latest Windows 10 Insider Preview Build, Microsoft has given you the power to shut down or restart your PC by your voice alone--a convenience that also may allow pranksters of all stripes to wreak havoc. Microsoft rolled out Preview Build 14986 of Windows 10 to insiders in the Fast ring on Wednesday, on the first day of its Windows Hardware Engineering conference (WinHEC) in Shenzhen, China. It's a rather substantial build, offering the ability to restart, lock, or shut down your PC via Cortana. It allows you more freedom to control your music via Cortana, provides better PC game support via the Windows Game Bar, includes a Windows Defender dashboard, features improved Windows Ink capabilities, and much more. The new build also ships with specific improvements for customers in Asia, including a better typing experience for Chinese keyboards.