A recent report from PCWorld highlights a troubling reality for businesses: hackers have found ways to bypass Microsoft Defender and install ransomware on PCs. For many organizations that rely heavily on built-in security tools, this revelation should serve as a wake-up call.
Microsoft Defender has become a widely used frontline defense because it is pre-installed with Windows and regularly updated. Yet, as the PCWorld article shows, attackers continue to evolve their methods, finding creative ways to slip past traditional detection. This is not an isolated problem. The security landscape is full of examples where threat actors use novel techniques to outsmart the very tools designed to stop them.
Most traditional endpoint protection solutions, including Microsoft Defender, rely on a "detect and respond" strategy. That means they scan for known malware signatures, suspicious behaviors, or unusual patterns, and then act once the threat is detected.
But here’s the issue: detection is always reactive. Attackers have the advantage because they only need to find one way around detection, while defenders must anticipate every possible trick. Zero-day exploits, obfuscated code, and fileless malware are just some of the techniques that can evade detection. By the time the system responds, it is often too late — ransomware has already encrypted critical files or spread across the network.
Instead of relying on detection, businesses need to shift to a strategy of isolation and containment. This model doesn’t wait to identify whether an action is malicious. Instead, it proactively stops untrusted processes from ever gaining the ability to alter the system in harmful ways.
This is exactly what AppGuard delivers. With over a decade of proven success in government and high-security environments, AppGuard is now available for commercial use. Its approach is fundamentally different: instead of chasing the latest malware signatures or relying on alerts after compromise, it contains applications in real-time and blocks unauthorized behavior before it can cause damage.
The PCWorld report about Microsoft Defender being bypassed is just another reminder that relying on detection-only solutions is not enough. Attackers are outpacing traditional defenses, and every bypass means downtime, financial loss, and reputational damage for businesses.
Small and mid-sized businesses are particularly vulnerable. They often lack the resources for large-scale incident response, meaning a single ransomware event could be devastating. Prevention is no longer just a security strategy — it is a survival necessity.
If your business is still depending on detection-based tools alone, you are exposed to the very risks highlighted in the PCWorld article. Now is the time to move beyond "detect and respond" and adopt an "isolation and containment" approach that stops ransomware in its tracks.
At CHIPS, we help businesses take advantage of AppGuard’s proven protection. With a 10-year track record of success and a security model built for today’s threat environment, AppGuard is the solution that businesses need to stay resilient.
Talk with us at CHIPS about how AppGuard can prevent incidents like this before they ever start.
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