If you’re using a Windows computer, you’ll have an inbuilt security tool that protects against viruses and malware. It’s called Microsoft Defender, or Windows Security which provides a unified experience to manage antivirus, firewall and performance features. It also allows you to check the condition of your device and protect your data with hardware encryption and password management. Installing an antivirus program from a third party will disable the Microsoft Defender Antivirus engine, but it won’t alter the functionality of Windows Security itself.

One of the most important features of Windows Security is Microsoft Defender’s real-time security. This feature scans your system and blocks malicious software in real time. It also allows you to quarantine and restore suspicious applications that were blocked in error. Microsoft Defender relies on cloud-based and online malware definitions. This can cause it to lag behind other paid competitors when it comes to virus and malware detection.

Other opera vpn not connecting settings that you can access through Windows Security include User Account Control that warns you whenever someone or something attempts to change the system-level settings by locking the screen until an administrator is able to confirm the change. You can also set the frequency at which Windows Security will run a background check and scan for updates.

Windows Security allows you to create backups from the Microsoft OneDrive folder, and even safely erase your hard disk and start from scratch. It’s an effective method of keeping your computer’s operating system and personal information safe, and it’s a good alternative for those who don’t want to shell out for a security program that isn’t included.