Google Chrome updates labeled ‘suspicious’ due to Microsoft Defender false positive issue
It was an accident, Microsoft swears.
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What you need to know
If you recently encountered an awkward situation wherein Microsoft Defender for Endpoint called out Google Update’s Chrome updates for looking sketchy, know that it was a false positive and you shouldn’t lose sleep over anything. Chrome isn’t compromised, it was just Defender acting up a little.
As cited in a variety ofreportsrounded up byBleepingComputer, Windows system admins were encountering a situation wherein Defender for Endpoint was dinging Chrome updates.
Shortly thereafter, Microsoft clarified what was up. In a statement to BleepingComputer, a spokesperson said, “we determined these are false positive results and we have updated the logic for this alert to resolve the issue some customers may have experienced.”
In other words, all’s well that ends well. If you were affected by this and wondering if Google was attempting to ruin your life, the answer is officially “no” from Microsoft.
Speaking of Defender and false positives, in recent news, it was discovered that while Microsoft Defender is typically pretty capable when it comes to avoiding accidental red flags,it struggles offlinecompared to just about every other major antivirus solution. According to tests run by AV-Comparatives, thebest antivirus softwaresuch as Bitdefender, AVG, Total Defense, and more all did laps around Microsoft’s product when it came to offline detection capabilities, meaning for those without the steadiest of internet connections, it may be worth checking out alternatives to the Redmond default in order to maximize your security.
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Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.
