Q: Is Windows Defender enough to stay protected?

It depends on what you mean by “enough”. Windows Defender offers some decent cybersecurity protection, but it’s nowhere near as good as most premium antivirus software . Windows Defender is fine if you’re just looking for basic cybersecurity protection. But if you have a lot of sensitive information on your device which might attract hackers — banking info, login details, private files — then no, it’s not “enough”. Windows’s antivirus has some serious problems in terms of online security, multi-device protection, poor-quality updates, and malware protection. You can read more about my analysis of Defender’s security offerings here .

Q: Can Windows Defender remove malware?

Yes. If Windows Defender detects malware, it will remove it from your PC. However, because Microsoft doesn’t update Defender’s virus definitions regularly, the newest malware won’t be detected. Relying on Windows Defender as your sole antivirus puts your entire PC at risk of infection. While there are better free antiviruses out there, no free antivirus can offer the kind of guaranteed malware protection that the best anti-malware software can. If you’re looking for the best malware protection and internet security tools, a premium antivirus like Norton is much more capable.

Q: Does Windows have built-in phishing protection?

Mostly, yes. Microsoft’s SmartScreen is designed to protect Microsoft Edge users from a wide range of online cybersecurity threats, including phishing emails and malicious sites which attempt to steal your personal information. However, if you’re using a different browser, like Chrome or Firefox, the SmartScreen browser extension honestly isn’t worth installing — it doesn’t detect phishing sites as accurately as Google and Mozilla’s built-in detection. If you’re looking to improve your web security, McAfee provides superior phishing detection for all major browsers, as well as a “Smart Firewall” and a fast VPN to keep your browsing 100% anonymous.

Q: Is Windows Defender free?

Yes. Windows Defender is automatically installed for free on all PCs that have Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11. You can also upgrade to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family to extend your protection to Mac, iOS, or Android — but it’s honestly not worth doing. Again, there are better free Windows antiviruses out there, and again, no free antivirus is going to provide the kind of protection that you will get with a full-featured premium antivirus .

Q: Should I replace Windows Defender with another antivirus?

Microsoft’s Windows Defender just isn’t good enough, though it’s a lot closer than it’s ever been to competing with third-party internet security suites. In terms of malware detection, it often ranks below the detection rates offered by top antivirus competitors . In terms of system performance, Defender’s scans take longer and cause more slowdown than most third-party antiviruses. And finally, in terms of essential security features, Defender is severely lacking. Using Windows Defender as a standalone antivirus is much better than not using any antivirus at all. But it still leaves you vulnerable to ransomware, spyware, and advanced forms of malware that can leave you devastated in the event of an attack. I recommend one of the following options: Option 1: Choose a better free antivirus to replace Windows Defender. If you’re on a really tight budget and you can’t afford a paid antivirus, there are a few free antivirus products that are significantly better than Defender. I like Bitdefender’s free antivirus the best. But it’s important to remember that all free antiviruses have limitations that premium antiviruses don’t have. Option 2: Optimize your PC’s protection with a premium antivirus. No free antivirus will offer you 100% protection, and Windows Defender has repeatedly shown to be vulnerable to malware, ransomware, and spyware. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to keep you and your PC safe, so investing a few bucks a month in a premium internet security suite is hands-down the best way of protecting yourself and guaranteeing your cybersecurity.

Q: Can I use Windows Defender with another antivirus?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Windows Defender’s protections can conflict with third-party antivirus software, inhibiting the software’s ability to scan and detect malware. Using Windows Defender in combination with another antivirus program can act as an extra layer of protection, but my advice is to choose a reliable antivirus that offers complete Windows protection and disable Windows Defender’s malware scanning modules to prevent any conflicts. Note that in most cases, when installing a third-party antivirus on your PC, Windows will automatically disable Windows Defender — either putting it into passive mode or disabling its protections entirely. But it’s always best to make sure that Windows Defender’s protections are correctly disabled after you’ve installed a third-party antivirus, like Norton .

Q: How to scan for malware using Windows Defender?

Scanning for malware with Windows Defender is easy. Here’s how to perform a scan on the latest versions of Windows: Open Windows Security: Click the Start button, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security , and select Virus & threat protection . Choose a scan type: Under “Current threats”, you can choose from a quick scan, full scan, or custom scan. A quick scan targets common areas in your system where malware might hide, a full scan checks your entire system, and a custom scan lets you pick a specific file or folder to check for malware. Start the scan: Click the Scan now button. Note: If you’ve chosen a full or custom scan, follow the on-screen instructions here to initiate the scan. Review results: Once the scan is complete, Windows Defender will display the results. If threats are found, you’ll be guided on how to remove or quarantine them. However, I recommend getting a premium antivirus like Norton for full protection. If you have a premium antivirus, these instructions still apply, but from Virus & threat protection, you’ll be instructed to open up your premium antivirus app.

Q: What do you use a VPN for?

You can use a VPN for many different reasons . These include protecting your data when you surf the web, accessing streaming sites when you travel abroad, securing your P2P traffic, and improving your gaming experience. VPNs can also circumvent firewalls that restrict your online access, and prevent your ISP from throttling your bandwidth.

Question 1

Is Windows Defender enough to stay protected?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you mean by “enough”. Windows Defender offers some decent cybersecurity protection, but it’s nowhere near as good as most premium antivirus software.

Windows Defender is fine if you’re just looking for basic cybersecurity protection. But if you have a lot of sensitive information on your device which might attract hackers — banking info, login details, private files — then no, it’s not “enough”. Windows’s antivirus has some serious problems in terms of online security, multi-device protection, poor-quality updates, and malware protection. You can read more about my analysis of Defender’s security offerings here.

Question 2

What is Windows Defender SmartScreen? Should I disable it?

Accepted Answer

Windows Defender SmartScreen is Defender’s real-time and phishing protection. If you try to download a malicious file or visit a dangerous website, Windows Defender SmartScreen will stop the download or prevent you from opening the site. It’s essential protection but will automatically turn off if you have a reliable alternative antivirus installed with better real-time and phishing protection, such as Norton 360.

Question 3

Can Windows Defender remove malware?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If Windows Defender detects malware, it will remove it from your PC. However, because Microsoft doesn’t update Defender’s virus definitions regularly, the newest malware won’t be detected. Relying on Windows Defender as your sole antivirus puts your entire PC at risk of infection.

While there are better free antiviruses out there, no free antivirus can offer the kind of guaranteed malware protection that the best anti-malware software can. If you’re looking for the best malware protection and internet security tools, a premium antivirus like Norton is much more capable.

Question 4

Does Windows have built-in phishing protection?

Accepted Answer

Mostly, yes. Microsoft’s SmartScreen is designed to protect Microsoft Edge users from a wide range of online cybersecurity threats, including phishing emails and malicious sites which attempt to steal your personal information.

However, if you’re using a different browser, like Chrome or Firefox, the SmartScreen browser extension honestly isn’t worth installing — it doesn’t detect phishing sites as accurately as Google and Mozilla’s built-in detection.

If you’re looking to improve your web security, McAfee provides superior phishing detection for all major browsers, as well as a “Smart Firewall” and a fast VPN to keep your browsing 100% anonymous.

Question 5

Is Windows Defender free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Windows Defender is automatically installed for free on all PCs that have Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11. You can also upgrade to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family to extend your protection to Mac, iOS, or Android — but it’s honestly not worth doing.

Again, there are better free Windows antiviruses out there, and again, no free antivirus is going to provide the kind of protection that you will get with a full-featured premium antivirus.

Question 6

Should I replace Windows Defender with another antivirus?

Accepted Answer

Microsoft’s Windows Defender just isn’t good enough, though it’s a lot closer than it’s ever been to competing with third-party internet security suites. In terms of malware detection, it often ranks below the detection rates offered by top antivirus competitors. In terms of system performance, Defender’s scans take longer and cause more slowdown than most third-party antiviruses. And finally, in terms of essential security features, Defender is severely lacking.

Using Windows Defender as a standalone antivirus is much better than not using any antivirus at all. But it still leaves you vulnerable to ransomware, spyware, and advanced forms of malware that can leave you devastated in the event of an attack.

I recommend one of the following options:

Option 1: Choose a better free antivirus to replace Windows Defender. If you’re on a really tight budget and you can’t afford a paid antivirus, there are a few free antivirus products that are significantly better than Defender. I like Bitdefender’s free antivirus the best. But it’s important to remember that all free antiviruses have limitations that premium antiviruses don’t have.
Option 2: Optimize your PC’s protection with a premium antivirus. No free antivirus will offer you 100% protection, and Windows Defender has repeatedly shown to be vulnerable to malware, ransomware, and spyware. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to keep you and your PC safe, so investing a few bucks a month in a premium internet security suite is hands-down the best way of protecting yourself and guaranteeing your cybersecurity.

Question 7

Can I use Windows Defender with another antivirus?

Accepted Answer

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Windows Defender’s protections can conflict with third-party antivirus software, inhibiting the software’s ability to scan and detect malware. Using Windows Defender in combination with another antivirus program can act as an extra layer of protection, but my advice is to choose a reliable antivirus that offers complete Windows protection and disable Windows Defender’s malware scanning modules to prevent any conflicts.

Note that in most cases, when installing a third-party antivirus on your PC, Windows will automatically disable Windows Defender — either putting it into passive mode or disabling its protections entirely. But it’s always best to make sure that Windows Defender’s protections are correctly disabled after you’ve installed a third-party antivirus, like Norton.

Question 8

How to disable Windows Defender?

Accepted Answer

To ensure your new antivirus is running properly, you’ll need to disable Windows Defender to avoid any conflicts between the two scanning engines.

Step 1: Click the Start button and use the search bar on Windows 11 to look up Windows Security, or select the Windows Security tab and then click on Virus & threat protection if you’re on an older version of Windows.
Step 2: Locate and select Manage settings (found underneath the Virus & threat protection settings heading).
Step 3: Turn off real-time protection by clicking the toggle to Off. A message will appear saying “Real-time protection is off, leaving your device vulnerable” — it’s fine to ignore this message if you have installed a trusted alternative antivirus with real-time protection activated.

Windows Defender will now be deactivated. You’ll also see other options, including Cloud-delivered protection and Automatic sample submission — you can also switch these to Off, but these settings won’t impact the performance of your new antivirus software as Windows Defender’s real-time protection has already been deactivated.

Question 9

How to scan for malware using Windows Defender?

Accepted Answer

Scanning for malware with Windows Defender is easy. Here’s how to perform a scan on the latest versions of Windows:

Open Windows Security: Click the Start button, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security, and select Virus & threat protection.
Choose a scan type: Under “Current threats”, you can choose from a quick scan, full scan, or custom scan. A quick scan targets common areas in your system where malware might hide, a full scan checks your entire system, and a custom scan lets you pick a specific file or folder to check for malware.
Start the scan: Click the Scan now button. Note: If you’ve chosen a full or custom scan, follow the on-screen instructions here to initiate the scan.
Review results: Once the scan is complete, Windows Defender will display the results. If threats are found, you’ll be guided on how to remove or quarantine them. However, I recommend getting a premium antivirus like Norton for full protection. If you have a premium antivirus, these instructions still apply, but from Virus & threat protection, you’ll be instructed to open up your premium antivirus app.

Question 10

What do you use a VPN for?

Accepted Answer

You can use a VPN for many different reasons. These include protecting your data when you surf the web, accessing streaming sites when you travel abroad, securing your P2P traffic, and improving your gaming experience. VPNs can also circumvent firewalls that restrict your online access, and prevent your ISP from throttling your bandwidth.

Question 11

What’s the best VPN?

Accepted Answer

ExpressVPN is the best VPN in 2023 — it has 3,000+ servers in 90+ countries, provides industry-leading security and privacy features, works with all top streaming sites (including Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer), has intuitive apps for all platforms, and backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question 12

Do VPNs work with Netflix?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can use a VPN to access Netflix. However, I should mention that not all VPNs work with Netflix, as the streaming site often detects and blocks VPN connections. If you’re looking for a really good VPN for Netflix, I recommend ExpressVPN — it can access 10+ libraries, has the fastest streaming speeds on the market, and is very easy to use.

Question 13

How much does a VPN cost?

Accepted Answer

On average, a VPN will cost between $8 and $13 per month, but most providers have long-term plans that provide great savings and deals. For example, ExpressVPN’s longest plan starts at $6.67 / month and comes with 3 additional months for free.

If you want an excellent low-cost VPN, check out Private Internet Access, which has prices as cheap as $2.19 / month.

Question 14

Are there free VPNs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but I generally recommend avoiding them — most free VPNs are missing important security features (like a kill switch and a no-logs policy), don’t work with streaming sites, limit how much data you can use, have very slow speeds, and have buggy apps.

That said, if you insist on using a free VPN, I’d go with Proton VPN. It provides unlimited data, strong security, and good speeds. However, it limits you to 1 connection, provides servers in only 3 countries (the US, Japan, and the Netherlands), and doesn’t allow streaming or torrenting.

Overall, I strongly recommend getting an affordable premium VPN like ExpressVPN or one of Proton VPN’s paid plans to get significantly better value.

Question 15

Can I use a VPN on more than 1 device?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The industry average is 5–7 simultaneous connections. ExpressVPN allows 8 connections, Proton VPN allows 10 connections. However, if you have a lot of devices or have a large family, I recommend getting a VPN that supports unlimited simultaneous connections, like Private Internet Access or Surfshark.

Question 16

Do VPNs work on all platforms?

Accepted Answer

Yes, most VPNs have dedicated apps for all major operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Many top providers also have apps for Fire TV and Android TV devices.

You can also use a VPN on devices that don’t natively support VPNs, like gaming consoles or some smart TVs with a router. Most VPNs require a tricky manual setup on a router, but ExpressVPN actually has an easy-to-install router app.

Question 17

What’s the difference between a VPN and a proxy?

Accepted Answer

A VPN is an online service that encrypts your traffic and changes your IP address. A proxy is a service that changes your IP address, but it doesn’t encrypt your traffic.

Basically, a proxy is less secure than a VPN, so you should avoid it if you’re looking to protect your online data.

Question 18

How can I keep myself safe from online threats?

Accepted Answer

The best way is to use common sense when browsing online, install an antivirus program, and use a password manager and a VPN.

Common sense means: Don’t follow links from suspicious sources, be mistrustful of messages or websites that ask for personal information, and reach out to a more knowledgeable person if you’re feeling unsafe online.

An antivirus suite like Norton is easy to use and will offer you advanced protection against malware, phishing threats, and so many other forms of cyberattacks.

A good password manager is a great tool — it creates virtually unbreakable passwords for each of your accounts online and stores all of your passwords in an encrypted vault so you will never forget your passwords (1Password is my favorite password manager).

A VPN hides your actual IP address from hackers, masks all of your online activity, including the websites you visit and the files you download, and protects all of your data with military-grade encryption. ExpressVPN is the best VPN on the market in 2023.

Question 19

What are the best ways to keep my financial information safe when online shopping?

Accepted Answer

You should never click on ads, use a third-payment service like PayPal, routinely monitor your bank accounts, and only visit trusted websites to keep your financial information safe.

Ads on social media, pop-up ads, and even sponsored posts on the top of Google searches can frequently take you to unsafe or sketchy websites. It’s best to simply go to the website of the vendor you’re searching for than to try and navigate there using ads. Many antivirus suites like Norton also include web shields that can block unsafe websites.

Online payment services like PayPal and Venmo add an extra layer of protection — you won’t give your credit card number directly to a merchant. Further, only shop on trustworthy websites — ones you’ve purchased from before or are highly rated. You can look for user reviews on Google or even Reddit to get a better idea about an online vendor’s quality.

And make sure to keep on top of the transactions in your bank accounts (you could even consider contacting your bank and activating transaction notifications for your accounts). Report any unauthorized activity to your bank as soon as you can, and follow my tips above to stay safe if you think your identity has been stolen.

It’s advisable to use a password manager to secure accounts you make on retailer websites. Create strong, unique passwords and store them safely. There are many great password managers to choose from — my top pick is 1Password.

Question 20

How do I protect my privacy online?

Accepted Answer

The best way to protect your privacy is to prevent trackers from monitoring your online activity with an ad-blocker and cookie/tracker blocker. By installing a blocker to your browser, you will prevent websites from recording your activity and selling it to third-parties. Avira’s Browser Safety extension is my personal favorite — it’s free and available for Opera, Chrome, and Firefox.

Many VPNs also come with built-in tracker blocking tools, and they encrypt your internet connection to make it harder for hackers and big businesses to track you online. Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN with tracker-blocking capabilities.

For Chrome users, FLoC (federated learning of cohorts) is a new method of tracking online activity. We have prepared a guide about FLoC to inform users and provide protection advice.

Question 21

What can caretakers do to help seniors stay safe online?

Accepted Answer

You can assist a senior to stay safe online by helping them install easy-to-use programs and online tools to protect their internet activity.

In addition to referring to this article to get a better idea of the risks facing seniors online today, it’s also a good idea to purchase a top antivirus (Norton), password manager (1Password), and VPN (ExpressVPN).

Moreover, answer any questions or concerns they may have and keep a close eye on their social media accounts and banking activity to help keep your loved ones safe online.

Katarina Glamoslija

Published With SafetyDetectives

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