Yes, Windows Defender provides malware protection. Windows Defender is an anti-malware tool included in Windows 8 and 10 that provides both real-time protection and manual scans to protect your computer from malware threats, including viruses, spyware, ransomware, and rootkits.
Windows Defender is designed to defend against known threats by preventing them from running on your system and by scanning downloads, email attachments, and other files that have been identified as potentially malicious. It can also detect and remove existing malware on your system.
Real-time protection is one of the main components of Windows Defender and it constantly monitors programs and files on your system to ensure there is no malicious activity taking place. If any suspicious or malicious behavior is detected, Windows Defender will take action to block the threat and alert you of the problem.
Windows Defender also includes a manual scan option which allows you to scan your system for threats at any time. The scan runs a check of all currently running programs, files, and processes on your system and will alert you if anything suspicious is found. You can then choose to quarantine or delete the item.
Windows Defender can be customized to meet your security needs. You can set the program to automatically scan for malware during startup, or you can set it to update its definitions regularly. You can also choose to receive notifications when threats are detected, so that you can take immediate action if needed.
Windows Defender also offers a built-in quarantine system where threats that have been detected can be isolated without being deleted. This allows you to further analyze and take care of the threats without them affecting your system.
In addition to protecting your system from malware, Windows Defender also has features that can help protect your privacy. For example, it will block access to certain websites if they are deemed potentially dangerous. It can also delete cookies, clear your browsing history, and block pop-up ads.
To sum up, Windows Defender does provide malware protection, though you should note that it is only effective against known threats. As with any antivirus solution, it’s important to keep your system up to date with the latest security patches and definition updates. It is also recommended that you run regular manual scans to help identify any new or unknown threats that may have slipped through the cracks.