Windows Defender

Windows Defender is a piece of software which was initially released in October 2006. The program protects your computer against malware and spyware, and it was previously known as Microsoft AntiSpyware. It comes included with some versions of Windows and is available to download for free in other versions. Windows Defender for Windows 8 also includes antivirus protection.

Features

Windows Defender includes some great features; in particular its real time protection, which allows your computer to be automatically scanned and protected in the background without you even knowing. It monitors your computer for viruses, spyware, ad ware and other suspicious activity in real time, which provides the best protection for your computer.
Another good feature is its integration with Internet Explorer, which scans files as they are downloaded to prevent anything malicious from being downloaded to your computer. It scans files downloaded from other web browsers too, but can only be integrated with Internet Explorer.
When you would like to scan your computer manually, Windows Defender gives you two options; a quick scan, or a full scan, which is more in-depth. This is useful as sometimes you might suspect something suspicious on your computer but not have time for a full scan to run, so a quick scan is ideal. The full scan can be run later if the quick scan finds suspicious activity.

Comparison

Windows Defender definitely rivals other pieces of similar software, as it provides all the protection you generally need on your computer. It is free to download which is an advantage, however it cannot be used on other operating systems such as Macs. This is not a huge disadvantage, as other free malware protection software such as Ad-Aware does not offer protection for Macs either. Windows Defender works well at what it does, and I have personally never had any trouble with it on my computer.

Conclusion

Overall it is clear that Windows Defender software works well to defend your computer from malware, viruses and other suspicious files. If you do not want to pay out for protection for your computer, then Windows Defender is more than adequate; it is free, easy to use and definitely recommended.