PC Magazine - USA (2021-12)

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“I won’t do it,” my husband said, seemingly out of the blue, while staring

at his monitor. I looked at him quizzically.

“I won’t get antivirus software,” he said. “I have a Windows computer.

Defender does a good enough job for me. I’m not going to bother paying

for something I know I don’t need.”

Usually, I’d just nod in vague agreement at this software-related

outburst and continue with my day. However, I decided to take my

spouse’s declaration up with PCMag Lead Security Analyst Neil J.

Rubenking and get his opinion on the matter.

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score below zero in some independent lab tests, according to Rubenking.

That said, in recent years, Microsoft has made some improvements to

Windows’ built-in security system. It’s now called Microsoft Windows

Defender Security Center. The software has simple ransomware and

malware protection, and its lab scores are more than acceptable.

Defender is a capable antivirus solution, earning a 3.5 out of 5 score for

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costs.

But what about Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center’s

limitations? It received poor scores for phishing, a scam that boomed

while people were at home during the early days of the COVID-

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for Microsoft browsers. Most third-party antivirus products apply

malicious download protection to all popular browsers, including Google

Chrome and Firefox.

Get Third-Party AV: Windows

Defender Isn’t Enough

Windows’ built-in security software just

doesn’t keep you as safe as the best

antivirus.

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