With the introduction of Windows 10 at the latest, the automatically installed virus scanner "Windows Defender" also found its way into the home computer world. This is Microsoft's own anti-virus software. For Windows 8 and Windows 10, basic protection against spyware is provided and an offline cleaning tool for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 is provided. Microsoft Virus Software Security Essentials is available for older versions of the Windows operating system. Microsoft has also provided an in-house solution to protect against dangerous content for the Microsoft "Edge" browser. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft solutions and is additional anti-virus software required? Isn't it enough to use this pre-installed solution in combination with responsible behavior on the Internet?

The biggest advantage of the Microsoft Defender is certainly that the anti-virus program comes directly from the same manufacturer as the operating system and can thus be the first to react to all weaknesses and possible security gaps. Possible security gaps can also be avoided by installing additional external programs, which in turn also require various authorizations to work properly. Finally, it should be said that the Windows Defender really works in the background in a resource-saving manner and has no negative effects on the system performance.

As a disadvantage, it is often mentioned that the protection provided by Windows Defender would not be sufficient. Reference is made to various tests in which the Defender did poorly compared to other, usually very expensive, anti-virus programs. It should be mentioned here that these tests are based on very different test procedures. Different malware programs are often grouped together. If only one of the programs is not recognized, the entire group is rated as negative, which leads to an exaggeration of the negative result. But even if one does not take this exaggeration into account, the result is that Windows Defender detects and eliminates fewer threats than many of the other anti-virus programs. Microsoft also stands for a large corporation with numerous divisions. Even if a dedicated department works specifically on virus protection, there is still a lack of extensive, long-term experience and the ability to work purely on anti-virus software, as the competition can have.

In summary, it can be said that users of Windows 8 or Windows 10 have already installed virus protection. If this, like the operating system itself, is kept up to date, good basic protection is already in place. To be on the safe side and get really excellent protection, it is recommended to install another anti-virus program. Free software can be used here if you can live with the somewhat more complicated operation and the insertion of advertising. However, the best result is still guaranteed by using paid anti-virus programs.

Windows 7 or older users should definitely use anti-virus software. Not only is the basic protection preinstalled with Windows 8 or Windows 10 missing, but the older versions of Windows are rarely or not serviced these days and are provided with security updates. As a result, a large number of security gaps are never closed and open doors for all malicious programs. Even the best anti-virus programs can reach their limits here, since the latest (and therefore the most difficult to detect) viruses can of course penetrate through such security holes. If the older version of Windows is not absolutely necessary (be it due to system values ​​that are too low, but also because certain programs are used that are not compatible with Windows 8 or Windows 10), it is recommended to upgrade to a newer version of Windows (preferably Windows 10) to change.