If you’re looking for low-cost, simple security, you can’t do much better than the security suite built into Windows 10 and 11. It’s also referred to as Windows Security or Microsoft Defender, and it combines antivirus protection, a firewall, device monitoring and child protection (you can set permissions to what your children are allowed to do online) as well as other features.
It also includes a password manager, anti-phishing tool, and other features. Its firewall checks all connections, both inbound and outbound, including Wi-Fi networks. It also has an advanced menu that lets you access the details of suspicious connections, which is a welcome touch.
In our tests it did a decent job blocking the majority of websites that are phishing and downloading dangerous files. Its reputation-based security system utilizes a large database to assign app and site reputation scores. Programs with low scores are immediately removed. In addition it also provides security against exploits to guard against attacks that attempt to alter the settings of your computer.
It does a good job generally, but it doesn’t have the malware detection rates that standalone competitors such as Norton and Bitdefender have. It does include a password manager, but it isn’t equipped with other useful features such as an optimizer for your PC or VPN. The customer support options are extensive, however it has a huge community as well as detailed FAQs and forums, and numerous ways to get in touch with a tech specialist via live chat or email.