Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is still available for 64-bit Windows machines and aims to prevent infections from prevalent malware strains. Not that we recommend doing so, but those still running older versions of Windows such as Windows 8 and Windows 7 still have options in the anti-malware space. What’s more, it’s absolutely free to use, everyone who runs a Windows PC has it, and it’s automatically updated regularly to combat against new and emerging threats.

In our tests, Microsoft Defender blocked 99.96% of all malware samples and between January and February 2022, it protected against 100% of all new zero-day threats too.

Perhaps only let down by an unwelcoming user interface (UI), Microsoft Defender offers highly accurate, comprehensive protection from cyber security threats from the moment you first power-on your device. It’s only in the past few years that Microsoft Defender - its current name - has been viewed as a serious protector in the cyber security space.

Pair this with excellent tools for stopping viruses, and you've got a market-leading product. Yet, for free software, providing a fairly comprehensive overview of your security posture is welcome, and we never felt the suite was overly pushy in advertising its premium plan - it does a good job of clearly marking those tools reserved for the paid tier. Many of these features simply alert you to problems, and you will need the premium tier to have the software sort these automatically. This will alert you if any of your email addresses have been implicated in third-party data breaches, giving you advanced warning that you may need to update passwords or add additional layers of security. This prevents programs from writing to protected locations without user approval.Īlso included is the Hack Alert feature, which is useful for understanding the threat landscape beyond your business. Beyond that, it also provides a tool called Ransomware Shield, which does the same job as Windows' built-in Controlled Folder Access feature, only with a much nicer UI.

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