Microsoft Adds 'Tamper Protection' to Windows Defender

With the release of Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update), Microsoft has made its operating system a more secure platform by default thanks to a feature called Tamper Protection.

As ZDNet reports, Tamper Protection is a feature of Windows Defender for both corporate and consumer versions of Windows 10. When enabled, it blocks any changes to your Windows Security settings by other programs, meaning the only way to change those settings is through the Windows interface using an administrator account.

Before Tamper Protection, it was possible for third-party programs to disable virus, threat, real-time, and cloud-delivered protection, turn off behavior monitoring, and remove security intelligence updates. It isn't easy to disable these protection systems, but it was possible and Microsoft has now closed that security hole. It's also been achieved without affecting how third-party security software works.

The new feature was rolled out to Windows Insider builds back in March after being in development since December last year. After more testing in the commercial version of Defender for enterprise customers (Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection), Tamper Protection is now generally available as part of the May 2019 Update and it will be enabled by default.

Tamper Protection is being rolled out in stages, so there is a chance you already have it available, but not enabled. To check, click on the Start button, then start typing "Windows Security" and click the link that appears. Then click Virus & threat protection and under the Virus & threat protection settings there's a link to Manage settings. Clicking that will reveal if Tamper Protection is available as an option yet on your system and whether it is enabled.

Back in August, Windows Defender achieved the status of "best antivirus," so Tamper Protection is just icing on the cake for what's already a great Windows security solution.

Recommended by Our Editors

Microsoft Launches Windows Defender for Mac

Windows Defender Achieves 'Best Antivirus' Status

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019 Ice Lake) Review