Windows Defender has been a successful threat protector for a long time. At times their performance was a bit bad, but Windows has created some alteration in the software such that they turned to be one of the decent anti-virus software which is available for free.
The new updated version consists of features like Sandboxing and Cloud based malware detection. The new version helps you to boost the protection and detects threats pretty faster. But, when Windows Defender was exposed to some malicious threats, the software took some time to detect them. In case of viruses, Microsoft does not block or destroy them, instead just alerts you and tell you that you should have installed a better antivirus.
When you compare Window Defender with other advanced antivirus available these days, Windows Defender lacks many features that other programs have.
Major features of Windows Defender are:
- Real time threat detection.
- Firewall and network protection.
- Hardware security
- Protection against phishing sites
- Parental controls
- System performance reports.
Advantages
Basically Microsoft Defender functions pretty well at detecting malwares and preventing network based attacks and exploits. They actively flags phishing sites and protect your system from online threats. They also contain Performance calculator and have the reports of your system health. They provide you with parental control option, content filtering, set the usage limit as well as location tracking. As Windows have improved their facilities, users can depend on Windows to safeguard their systems.
Disadvantages
- Compared to other third party software, the detection rate is low.
- The parental control feature is confined to Microsoft Edge browser.
- The interface is a bit tricky and not user-friendly.
- The system reports they provide are basic ones and they does not have any performance booster.
- They do not have cross-platform support.
- They lack features like VPN, password manager, dark web monitoring, theft protection etc.
The 2021 version has improved in their performance and features. According to the AV test lab, Windows Defender has successfully removed 99% of the malwares without altering the system performance. They serve as a best software for the beginners and for the normal users who needs basic layer of protection. They are suitable for weak computers which cannot bear the impact of the anti-virus function.
Windows defender 10 proved to the best version when compared to other versions. Recently, the AV test labs have included Windows Defender in the top 10 category of antivirus softwares based on reliability. The false positive rate of Windows Defender is higher than the average. Windows Defender provides real-time protection and by default they will be active. This means that they will be functioning continuously in the background. As they don’t use much of the system resources, you won’t notice them functioning in the background.
Windows Defender provides Full Scan, Custom Scan and Offline scan. You can schedule scans according to your wish. The Firewall they provide is a normal one but is quite efficient one to protect your network. You can control it from the interface itself.
The anti-phishing feature of Windows Defender works great with the native browsers like Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. The updated version of Defender offers ransomware protection. With the parental control feature, you can create different accounts for family members and you can set the limits for different accounts.
Windows Defender allows you to take a free trial so that you can understand the performance of the software and decide if it is good for you or not.
As a final verdict, updated Windows Defender can prevent your system from cyber-attacks and data leaks. Since it is a free software, they have some drawbacks while comparing it with other paid softwares. But still they are worth a try.