Any operating system needs anti-virus protection. In Windows 10, it is implemented through Windows Defender.
To understand whether this software can really provide reliable protection to your computer, you should understand its features, compare it with commercial antivirus programs.
Windows Defender Features
By default, good antivirus software should have a number of important features:
- be as efficient as possible;
- do not adversely affect the operation of the operating system;
- catching as many threats as possible;
- Protect against hacker attacks.
Windows Defender, which is equipped with the tenth version of Windows, is somewhat different from the basic antivirus.
Its firewall shows good performance. The scanner produces few false positives, is efficient, and doesn’t significantly slow down page loading in the browser. The program is integrated with Windows, so you do not need to install or configure anything additional.
Other positive features of Windows Defender are as follows:
- Improved scanning and detection of known threats
- the impact on the OS is minimized;
- Guaranteed removal of all classic virus programs.
Also fixed an issue with updates that are now downloaded by Windows Update. Unfortunately, they are not published regularly, which means that protection is often based on old virus signature databases.
Windows Defender 10 also has other disadvantages. The first is the inability to counter other more common threats:
- spyware;
- Ransomware.
Windows Defender 10 is independently tested to perform below average for free antivirus software. It noticeably slows down the installation of known applications. This is another significant disadvantage.
Windows Defender also has issues with managing user-initiated actions. They are due to the fact that the antivirus perceives such actions as a conscious launch of the application and visiting certain sites. In practice, this is often not the case at all. If virus software starts, there is no 100% certainty that Windows Defender 10 will block it.
Differences between Windows Defender and commercial antiviruses
The first difference between Windows Defender and commercial antivirus software is that you don’t have to pay for antivirus protection. When purchasing a computer based on Windows 10, the user receives Windows Defender for free.
Other differences from paid antiviruses, unfortunately, are not in favor of Windows Defender.
Windows 10 Defender has limited functionality. Commercial anti-virus programs offer up to several dozen different tools to protect your computer. Their free counterparts are also characterized by a considerable number of additional features:
- protection of instant messengers, e-mail and browsers;
- Blocking unwanted ads, plug-ins, or specific sites.
Constant monitoring of the Wi-Fi network and sites for their authenticity is an important option that should be present in a good antivirus. Unfortunately, it is not provided in Windows Defender.
Quality of work is another criterion that determines the difference between paid antivirus software and Windows Defender. Windows Defender 10 is having trouble catching more advanced virus attacks. There are also no regular virus database updates. In commercial products, they are even updated several times a day.
Antivirus software provided in Windows 10 does not burden the computer. At first glance, this can be considered a positive feature. But it is a consequence of the fact that Windows Defender is a heavily depleted version of the simplest antivirus, ineffective against ransomware and various spyware.
Specialization is another factor that makes Windows Defender 10 inferior to commercial antivirus software.
Many paid protection providers (Avast, AVG, etc.) have been dealing with the issue of specialization for a long time. They are familiar with different types of hacker attacks, methods of collecting data and hacking systems. Developers of paid antivirus programs constantly monitor what is happening on the Internet, collect data from their users and quickly respond to any threat.
Windows 10 Defender is just one piece of other software developed “on the occasion” of the system’s creation. Its creators cannot boast of such experience as the authors of commercial solutions that are regularly updated and developed.
Windows Defender lacks add-ons typical of commercial antiviruses that perform the following important functions:
- blocking all potential attacks;
- controlling, in addition to access to the computer, the security of passwords, e-mail, Wi-Fi.
In the modern world, a huge number of electronic transfers are made. With this in mind, many vendors of paid antivirus programs integrate Safe Browser Mode into their products to protect sensitive financial data and online transactions. Windows Defender is not yet endowed with such tools.
Technical support for users who encounter a problem during the installation, configuration and use of antivirus software is also not available in Windows Defender 10.
Based on the results of the comparative review, we can conclude that Windows Defender is not able to protect disk resources and guarantee the confidentiality of user actions. This software is good only for protecting your computer. But for modern people who carry out a lot of actions via the Internet, this is not enough. To ensure that Windows 10 is protected at all levels, it is better to opt for a commercial antivirus program that has received wide popularity and user approval.
