false positives Archives

Tech Optimizer

June 11, 2026

Avast One: Security and privacy suite under the microscope

Avast One is the flagship consumer security suite from Avast (Gen Digital), combining antivirus, firewall, VPN, and privacy utilities into a single subscription for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It offers four primary areas: device security, online privacy, identity protection, and performance tools. Device security includes real-time antivirus, Web Shield, Mail Shield, and Ransomware Shield. The online privacy component features a full VPN service with bank-grade encryption and a no-logs policy. Identity protection includes data breach monitoring and, in some markets, credit monitoring. Performance tools assist with disk cleanup and system optimization. Avast One has three plan tiers: Avast One Essential (free), Avast One Individual (paid, supports multiple devices), and Avast One Family (paid, supports up to 30 devices). Pricing varies based on promotions, with Avast One Individual typically around per year and Avast One Family ranging from to 0 per year. The suite can be downloaded directly from Avast's website, with installers available for various platforms. Avast One includes automatic updates and is designed to operate lightly on modern hardware, with options to minimize system impact during scans. Customer support includes self-help documentation, community forums, and direct support for paying customers. Avast One aims to appeal to both non-technical users and power users, providing a user-friendly interface while allowing for advanced configurations. The product is positioned as a comprehensive solution for households looking to secure multiple devices with a single subscription.

Tech Optimizer

June 11, 2026

9 Best Antivirus Software On G2: My Top Picks

Antivirus software can become overwhelming for organizations due to alert fatigue shortly after deployment. Analysts often struggle to prioritize notifications, leading to the mismanagement of legitimate tools and unclear incident timelines. A review of nine antivirus solutions based on G2's Winter 2026 Grid® Report identified the following top performers: 1. ESET PROTECT: Best for machine learning-driven endpoint protection; offers enterprise-grade security with a free trial available. 2. Sophos Endpoint: Best for ransomware prevention; provides centralized policy control with a free trial available. 3. ThreatDown: Cost-effective EDR with MDR flexibility; combines antivirus and endpoint detection with a free trial available. 4. CrowdStrike Falcon: Best for large-scale enterprise threat prevention; cloud-native platform with subscription-based pricing and a free trial available. 5. Check Point Harmony Endpoint: Best for unified endpoint and zero-trust protection; integrates malware prevention and phishing defense with a free trial available. 6. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Best for Microsoft-native environments; deeply integrated with Microsoft 365, licensed through enterprise agreements. 7. Kaspersky AntiVirus: Best for traditional malware protection; provides real-time protection against various threats. 8. SentinelOne: Best for autonomous AI-driven endpoint response; features automated remediation and ransomware rollback with a free trial available. 9. FortiClient: Best for Fortinet-centric environments; offers VPN access and security policy enforcement with a free basic client available. The analysis highlighted that effective antivirus solutions prioritize behavioral analysis over traditional signature-based detection, minimize false positives, and maintain low system impact during operation. Key factors for evaluating antivirus software include threat detection accuracy, centralized visibility, response capabilities, and deployment stability.

Tech Optimizer

June 9, 2026

I trusted Malwarebytes to secure my PC for a month

Malwarebytes is an effective antivirus solution that provides robust protection against cyber threats, identified and blocked threats efficiently during usage. The software features a user-friendly interface with a Dashboard that includes tools such as a system scanner, VPN, and Trusted Advisor, which assesses system security. The Privacy, Identity, Tools, and Scam Guard sections offer additional functionalities, including monitoring for data breaches and identifying fraudulent emails. Malwarebytes operates with minimal CPU resource usage while effectively blocking malware and phishing attempts. An independent evaluation by MRG Effitas confirmed its high performance, earning a Level 1 certification. Pricing for Malwarebytes Premium starts at an annual fee for the Standard plan, with additional options available.

Tech Optimizer

June 8, 2026

I trusted Malwarebytes to secure my PC for a month

Malwarebytes is a cybersecurity solution that provides robust antivirus protection and features like a system scanner, VPN, and Trusted Advisor for security assessment. The installation process is simple, and users can navigate its intuitive interface easily. Trusted Advisor helped improve a user's security score from 49 to 83 by suggesting enhancements. The software includes sections for Privacy, Identity, Tools, and Scam Guard, which analyzes suspicious emails and screenshots. During testing, Scam Guard successfully identified a fraudulent email. Malwarebytes operates in the background with minimal CPU usage, effectively blocking threats and providing a detailed history of blocked malware. An independent evaluation by MRG Effitas awarded Malwarebytes a Level 1 certification for its performance. Pricing for Malwarebytes starts at an annual rate for the Standard plan, with additional options available for families and small businesses. It is recommended for its comprehensive protection compared to typical antivirus solutions.

Tech Optimizer

May 28, 2026

CertiK Launches AI Skill Scanner, An Antivirus Software for the AI Age

CertiK has launched the CertiK Skill Scanner, a security solution designed to protect AI Agents and third-party AI Skills. It targets AI Skill marketplaces, enterprises, developers, and users, focusing on identifying risks during execution, particularly in financial transactions. The scanner can be integrated into publishing pipelines for automatic reviews and provides a scored assessment of risks with verdicts of “pass,” “warn,” or “fail.” It boasts a 90.5% precision rate in identifying security risks. The scanner is already deployed in select Web3 environments and aims to expand its integrations. CertiK, founded in 2017, is a leading Web3 security service provider, having worked with over 5,000 enterprise clients, including Binance and Ant Group.

AppWizard

May 23, 2026

“Congrats to the owners of a brand new $6k paperweight”: Valorant dev Riot makes players think Vanguard anti-cheat will brick their PCs, causing uproar — here’s what’s really happening

Valorant's anti-cheat system, Vanguard, has been controversial due to its interference with DMA firmware devices, which are used to cheat in the game. Riot Games posted a message suggesting that Vanguard was making these devices unusable, leading to backlash from the gaming community. Riot clarified that Vanguard does not damage hardware or disable devices but prevents DMA cheat devices from functioning while IOMMU protections are enabled. Players not using DMA devices are not affected. The situation has sparked debate about the balance between anti-cheat measures and their impact on hardware.

Winsage

May 14, 2026

Microsoft unveils MDASH, its AI agent-driven security platform — and it’s already spotted a host of new Windows flaws

Microsoft has introduced MDASH, a platform that enhances vulnerability discovery using artificial intelligence, developed by the Autonomous Code Security Team and the Windows Attack Research and Protection group. MDASH has identified 16 previously unknown vulnerabilities in various Windows components, including four critical remote code execution vulnerabilities (CVE‑2026‑33827 and CVE‑2026‑33824). The platform achieved zero false positives during testing and is currently used internally at Microsoft and in a private preview for select partners.

Winsage

May 14, 2026

Microsoft MDASH finds Windows security flaws with AI | ETIH EdTech News

Microsoft has developed an AI security system called MDASH that has identified 16 vulnerabilities in Windows networking and authentication frameworks, with four classified as Critical, allowing for remote code execution. MDASH uses over 100 specialized AI agents to analyze code from multiple perspectives, improving the accuracy of vulnerability detection. The system has successfully detected all 21 planted vulnerabilities in a private testing environment without false positives, achieving a 96 percent recall rate against historical cases and an 88.45 percent success rate on the CyberGym benchmark. The identified vulnerabilities include issues in tcpip.sys and IKEEXT, which can be exploited remotely without needing credentials.

Tech Optimizer

May 8, 2026

CrowdStrike Falcon: What US Businesses Need to Know Right Now About the Security Platform

CrowdStrike Falcon is a cloud-native endpoint protection platform (EPP) and extended detection and response (XDR) solution used by many U.S. organizations to combat modern cyber threats such as ransomware and supply chain attacks. It utilizes behavioral analysis, machine learning, and real-time telemetry instead of traditional signature-based detection methods. Falcon features a lightweight agent that operates on various endpoints, collecting telemetry data for analysis. Key modules include Falcon Prevent for blocking malware, Falcon Insight for monitoring endpoint activity, and Falcon OverWatch for managed detection and response services. The platform also offers identity protection and cloud workload security, integrating telemetry from various environments for a comprehensive threat view. Falcon is particularly beneficial for medium to large-sized organizations with dedicated security teams and complex IT infrastructures. However, it may not be suitable for smaller businesses due to its licensing model and operational complexity. Its strengths include rapid deployment, scalability, and advanced detection capabilities, while its limitations involve reliance on proper configuration and cloud connectivity. Competitors include Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and SentinelOne. Organizations considering Falcon should evaluate their security needs, existing infrastructure, and budget, as well as the total cost of ownership.

Winsage

May 6, 2026

Defender Misflags DigiCert Root Certificates, Breaking Windows SSL Trust

On April 30, 2026, Microsoft Defender misclassified two legitimate DigiCert root certificates as a severe threat, specifically Trojan:Win32/Cerdigent.A!dha, leading to their quarantine and disrupting SSL/TLS validation across affected endpoints. This misclassification was a result of new malware detections introduced by Microsoft in response to concerns over compromised certificates from a DigiCert breach. The false-positive alerts were triggered by the registry entries of the two trusted root certificates, which are crucial for validating SSL/TLS sessions. Microsoft later acknowledged the error and adjusted the alert logic. There was no actual compromise of the DigiCert certificates, as administrators confirmed that the certificate hashes matched the official values. The misclassification stemmed from a failure to properly constrain the detection to only revoked end-entity signing certificates related to a separate incident. This incident follows a pattern of Microsoft Defender misidentifying legitimate software as malicious, as seen in a 2022 incident where Microsoft Office was flagged as a virus. Organizations with restrictive update policies may continue to face SSL/TLS validation failures until they deploy the corrective Security Intelligence version or manually restore the DigiCert roots.