Windows 11 antivirus set for a major under-the-hood upgrade

By Mayank Sharma
published

Upcoming app will work across PCs, Macs, and mobile devices

security threat
(Image credit: Shutterstock.com)

Microsoft Defender (opens in new tab) is about to get a massive renovation to enable home users to monitor not just their Windows computers (opens in new tab), but also their Mac (opens in new tab), Android (opens in new tab) and iOS devices (opens in new tab). 

The remodelled app will reportedly help home users keep tabs on antivirus (opens in new tab), phishing (opens in new tab), compromised passwords (opens in new tab), and identity theft (opens in new tab) alerts from a unified dashboard.

BleepingComputer (opens in new tab) got wind of the upcoming release thanks to a new Microsoft Defender Preview app that’s available on the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab).

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"Microsoft Defender is a security application that gives you peace of mind. Through our personalized dashboard, you can view the security posture of your Windows device and other connected devices (Mac, iOS, and Android) all in one place," reads the description (opens in new tab).

More than just antivirus

The preview app is reportedly code-named Gibraltar and is currently available only for Microsoft employees.

BleepingComputer did some digging and found indications that the new unified security app will cover a variety of security threats.

The app will also possibly allow users to add family members to their personal dashboard using email (opens in new tab) or QR code invites. As is usually the case with enterprise monitoring solutions, the invites will likely install a mobile or desktop agent to enrol the device to the unified security dashboard.

Windows software developer Ahmed Walid (opens in new tab) patched the application to bypass authentication, and got it working to share more details about the upcoming app. 

It appears the app will enable users to monitor all enrolled devices for all kinds of alerts including compromised passwords, malware (opens in new tab) alerts, and identity theft issues. 

While the app doesn’t have a release date, speculation suggests it’ll land in Windows 10 (opens in new tab) and Windows 11 (opens in new tab) Insider Preview releases in a few months.

Mayank Sharma
Mayank Sharma

With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’s TechRadar Pro’s expert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.

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