Microsoft bakes a new proactive antivirus update into recent Windows 10 Security Updates

Microsoft bakes a new proactive antivirus updates into recent Windows 10 Security Update

The internet is a very scary place, sadly most people only come to appreciate that fact only after they have become victims. Nonetheless, Microsoft has done its part in safeguarding your PC, and in its latest Windows 10 security updates. The company includes a new additional layer of defense against virus and malware in its Windows Defender, the Limited Periodic Scanning.

This security update comes baked into Windows 10 pre-installed antivirus and comes as part of the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14352 released last week. The update will allow you to run both the Windows Defender and your other 3rd party antivirus software simultaneously. It gets even better; Windows Defender will now run on its own schedule to scan your computer for any possible malware or virus infections.

If or when it detects any threats, you will be notified by the Windows 10 Notification Center, but Windows Defender will also mitigate the threat on its own in the background. Microsoft says the Limited Periodic Scanning will kickstart only when your computer is in idle mode or when you are not doing some heavy tasks.

The program uses Microsoft’s Automatic Maintenance feature to determine the best time to run the scans. Here is where Microsoft might get things right, unlike with the Windows 10 update, which some users are complaining to have taken place right in the middle of something very important. Microsoft, here threw out the window, the respect for user privacy and having a choice on when to upgrade to Windows 10.

As of now, the availability of the Limited Periodic Scanning will only be available to consumers. However, it is said Microsoft is considering rolling it out to the enterprise users as well. Moreover, this feature is only available to Windows Insiders users, but it is turned off by default.

How to turn on Limited Periodic Scanning

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Defender and toggle on the Limited Periodic Scanning option.

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