Paying for a virus scanner?

In the history of the home computer, there is one constant. Secure the PC with a virus scanner. The situation remained unchanged for years. Microsoft provided Windows with a faulty scanner. So users were forced to install an antivirus program themselves. Good free alternatives were scarce, so they simply paid for the virus scanner.

That situation has come to an end. The built-in scanner in Windows 10 works fine. Defender can compete with the best paid packages.

Microsoft protects Windows 10 in several ways. These have been merged into ‘Windows Security’. Each part is aimed at keeping out intruders. It is clear that Windows security does much more than stop viruses. It consists of the following seven parts:

• Virus & threat protection (This is the virus scanner formerly referred to as Defender.)
• Account Security
• Firewall and Network Security
• App and browser management
• Device Security
• Device performance and status
• Family options

With the default settings of each component, the Windows 10 computer is well protected. The user has nothing to worry about. Windows security can be found via the Start button > Institutions > Windows Security > Open Windows Security.

There is no need to install a paid security package in addition to Windows security. Some users choose it anyway. There are three reasons for this:

• There are packages with more security options that offer more protection.
• The free packages with more security options usually perform less well.
• There are paid plans that offer protection on different devices such as Windows PC, Mac or Android devices.

Keep in mind, however, that the virus scanner is the most important part of any security package. This keeps viruses, malware and other malicious software at bay. Something that, as mentioned, Windows security works just fine. In addition, a firewall and protection against ransomware are useful. Windows security also provides this.