In a world full of free antivirus apps, choosing one can be difficult. Windows Defender comes with all Windows machines, but how does it compare to the competition and is it enough protection?
What Is Windows Defender?
It’s easy to use Windows without understanding Windows Defender. Every modern Windows OS includes a free antivirus application. If you haven’t installed a third-party antivirus, Windows Defender may be protecting your PC.
Microsoft’s antivirus used to be poor, thus users recommended third-party apps. Microsoft has made Windows Defender a significant antivirus competitor in recent years, with some saying you don’t need any additional protection software on your PC.
How Good Is Windows Defender?
Laptop with HackTool Mockup:Win32/Keygen Malware in Windows Defender History
Is Windows Defender secure? Luckily, you don’t need to download every antivirus and individually test its computer protection. Specialized antivirus research teams inform the public about the best suite.
I like AV-Test’s Windows antivirus list. For years, AV-Test has rigorously tested Windows antivirus software to determine which ones suit your PC.
The latest AV-Test report is Windows Defender December 2023. In this analysis, Windows Defender outperforms most antivirus industry averages for several parameters.
One test of an antivirus is its ability to find and stop zero-day vulnerabilities. The industry average caught 97.6% of zero-day assaults, but Windows Defender caught all. It also protected people from famous viruses flawlessly.
A good antivirus won’t help if it slows down your PC. Windows Defender got performance hits below industry averages, thankfully. Only monitoring the installation of popular apps was missing, which wasn’t a major deal.
Quick antivirus test for Windows Defender
The false positive record for Windows Defender was also faultless. Thus, Windows Defender won’t mistake a secure app for a virus or block safe websites.
Windows Defender’s UI, which may be less straightforward than third-party software, is a major issue. Fortunately, DefenderUI lets you customize Windows Defender.
Is Windows Defender Enough?
Windows Defender is a reliable antivirus. Now you can use Windows Defender to get top-tier protection on a new PC instead of downloading a third-party antivirus.
Not all third-party antivirus programs are useless. Different apps have different functions, so choose one that suits you.
Although Windows Defender is efficient, it’s not open-source. Thus, open-source software trusters will find superior antivirus programs elsewhere. Others combine antivirus with a VPN, which appeals to privacy-conscious users. If you choose this method, learn how to stop Windows Defender from preventing third-party antivirus software.
If you want a robust, system-friendly antivirus solution, Windows Defender is perfect. You can use the app without worry because it exceeds industry standards in protection and efficiency. Considering what other antivirus programs are doing, it’s interesting looking out the competition to see if any have tools Windows Defender lacks.
