Having an antivirus installed is essential to maintain security. It’s something we always recommend, no matter what operating system you’re using. However, it is true that sometimes they can give false positives. Basically, it means that it will detect that a program or file is dangerous, when it really is not. That’s what’s been happening with him. windows antivirus and a widely used browser.
It is, specifically, the Tor browser. It is one of the most used when the user seeks maximum privacy and security. Now, Windows Defender has been detecting it as a possible security threat. That, logically, could have alerted users. It has affected recent versions of this browser.
Windows Defender flags Tor as a threat
What Windows Defender has been doing is detecting the file tor.exe as if it were a trojan. He warned of this threat, which, in reality, was a false positive. This is not something strange, since it has happened on many occasions. However, it usually happens when we use low-quality antivirus. We are talking, in this case, about the Windows antivirus, which is considered one of the best, which is why it is surprising.
Logically, Tor contacted Microsoft to solve the problem. They indicated that they have made a series of adjustments since, indeed, it was an error and they were giving a false positive about a file that is safe. It affected the Tor version 12.5.6although it seems that only 64-bit.
Although the problem has been solved by Microsoft, they indicate that it is still possible that some users encounter this problem. If this is the case, what you should do is make sure you have everything correctly updated. You can go to the Microsoft update page, where you’ll see the latest version of Windows Defender depending on which system you’re using.
They also recommend checking if the tor.exe file is quarantined and downloading it directly from the official website again. With this, it should work without problems and you could install it on your computer.
It is important to always have everything up to date, since you will be able to correct problems of this type and also prevent them from putting your security at risk, in case there is a vulnerability. Especially when it comes to antivirus it is even more important to fix bugs.
Use good security programs
Although there may be specific problems like this one that we have seen in which Widnows Defender blocks the Tor browser installation file, the truth is that having security programs It’s fundamental. We are not only talking about an antivirus, but you can also install a firewall or even browser extensions. There are differences between antivirus and antimalware.
Ideally, you should constantly review the security software that you have installed. You must check that it is reliable, that you have always downloaded it from official sources and that it is updated. If you decide to install a VPN, which is good for using public networks safely, check that it works correctly.
In short, as you can see, Windows Defender has been (and could continue in some cases) detecting the Tor browser as a threat. Specifically, the installation file. It is key that you have it well updated and check that it does not trigger this false positive.
