Do You Need Antivirus Software for Windows 10 System?

Several experts always find themselves debating over the topic of whether or not your Windows 10 systems require antivirus protection. The reason being, Windows 10 operating system comes with a pre-installed Windows Defender antivirus that claims to offer protection against viruses and malware. However, the question which needs to be answered is – whether it is capable of providing complete protection, or do you need to have the best free antivirus protection for your system?

The short answer to the question is “yes.” You need to have third-party antivirus protection to safeguard your Windows 10 system. If you do not want to spend a considerable amount of your monthly income on an antivirus solution, there are antivirus software for Windows 10 available that you can choose from. In this article, you will find out the exact reasons why you need a third-party antivirus solution and, more specifically, find out what is the best antivirus software.

Why Isn’t Windows Defender Antivirus Solution Good Enough?

The Windows Defender is offered as an in-built solution, which includes both a firewall component and an antivirus solution. Though some people might make use of Windows Defender as a standalone security solution for their system, many people do opt-out of it to install third-party solutions.

Some of the reasons why people do not trust Windows Defender to ensure their security over the internet are as follows.

1. Windows Defender offers limited customization opportunities as compared to other third-party solutions.

2. In terms of preventing zero-day attacks, Windows Defender does not catch up with the industry average.

3. Other firewalls and basic virus protection, Windows Defender does not offer high-end features such as password manager, parental control, and gaming mode.

Vulnerabilities in Windows 10

1. Higher Number of Windows Users

At present, there are more Windows users in the world as compared to any other operating system. As a result, Windows remains to be the most attractive target for hackers and intruders.

Hackers are constantly targeting any vulnerability they can find out in the Windows operating system as they can affect a large number of systems.

2. Updates Are Not Free

Whenever Apple releases any updates for their operating system, it is available for free to all of its customers. However, the same is not the case for Windows users. When Microsoft releases a new operating system, users are required to pay for it to install it on their system.

It means that if you are using a Windows 7 OS and want to upgrade to Windows 10 – you will have to buy the new OS.

3. Users Can Download Everything

In Apple, there is better in-built security as the devices are equipped with features such as Gatekeeper. These features don’t allow users to download anything that they would like to have on their system.

However, for Windows users, this is not the case. Users get complete autonomy over what they can download on their Windows devices. Thus, more attacks are seen to infect the Windows system.

4. No Full Disk Encryption

Apple devices come with a feature known as File Vault that ensures all of the user data is encrypted when stored on the hard drive of the system. The feature is pre-installed on Mac devices, and users are not required to install it separately.

Windows users can also achieve the same functionality; however, they have to install it separately. Microsoft does not provide the feature pre-installed. Having said that, most Windows users do not bother to install such features on their system.

5. Less Advanced Feature Offerings

As compared to third-party antivirus solution – free or paid – Windows Defender comes with a limited set of functionality. It is all the more reason, why you should be looking for other best free antivirus solution that offers improved set of features including VPN, two-way firewall, parental controls, password manager, safe browser extensions and so on.

When you have access to features such as VPN and parental controls, you are in a better position to protect yours and your child’s privacy on the internet.

Final Thoughts

Though Windows Defender has improved considerably over the last few years, having a third-party antivirus solution installed on your system is a better choice. Not only you get better protection against viruses and malware, but you also get access to numerous features such as VPN, password manager, and others.

Overall, not safeguarding your Windows 10 device with the best free antivirus solution can put your device in harm’s way. Though Windows Defender works fine, you need a better solution to ensure your privacy and protection of your data online.