Microsoft's primary antivirus solution is Windows Defender, officially known as Microsoft Defender Antivirus. It's a built-in security component of the Windows operating system, designed to protect your computer from various threats.
Understanding Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus provides real-time protection against:
- Viruses: Malicious software that can damage your system or steal data.
- Malware: A broad term for harmful software, including viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, and ransomware.
- Spyware: Software that secretly monitors your online activity and collects personal information.
- Ransomware: Software that encrypts your files and demands a ransom payment for their decryption.
- Rootkits: Software that conceals malware and allows attackers to gain control of your system.
Key Features of Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus offers a range of features to keep your computer safe:
- Real-time Protection: Continuously monitors your system for threats and automatically blocks them.
- Cloud-Delivered Protection: Uses cloud intelligence to quickly identify and respond to emerging threats.
- Automatic Updates: Regularly updates its virus definitions to protect against the latest threats.
- Offline Scanning: Allows you to scan your computer for threats even when you're not connected to the internet.
- Customizable Scans: Lets you choose the type of scan you want to run, such as a quick scan, a full scan, or a custom scan.
- Integration with Windows Security Center: Provides a centralized location for managing your security settings.
How Microsoft Defender Antivirus Works
When you download or open a file, Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans it for known threats. If a threat is detected, it's either quarantined (isolated) or removed. The antivirus also monitors your system for suspicious activity and blocks malicious websites and applications. Cloud-delivered protection enhances this by checking files against a vast database of known threats, enabling quicker responses to new malware.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
It's worth noting that "Microsoft Defender" is also used in a broader sense to refer to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, a comprehensive endpoint security solution designed for businesses. While Microsoft Defender Antivirus is part of this offering, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides additional features like threat analytics, advanced threat hunting, and automated investigation and response capabilities.
In summary, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the built-in antivirus program in Windows, providing comprehensive protection against a wide range of threats.
