Windows Defender is a security program developed by Microsoft for Windows operating systems. It provides protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits, Trojans and other malicious software. Windows Defender is designed to detect, quarantine and remove any threats that are detected on the system.
Windows Defender works in two ways; it can be used as a real-time scanner that checks all incoming and outgoing files and network traffic, and also as an on-demand scanner that can be used to check when required.
Windows Defender was first released in 2006 with Windows Vista, where it was titled “Windows Defender”. Initially, it was mainly used to protect against spyware, but since then its capabilities have been expanded to include protection from other types of malicious software.
Windows Defender utilizes several different technologies in order to provide protection. These include signature-based detection, heuristics-based detection, and cloud-based protection. Signature-based detection uses a database of known malicious programs in order to identify and block them. Heuristics-based detection is used to analyze program behavior and determine if it is malicious or not. Cloud-based protection takes advantage of the latest research to quickly identify new threats and block them before they can spread.
In addition to these technologies, Windows Defender also includes a firewall and a system restore feature. The firewall allows users to set rules for allowing or denying certain programs or traffic through the Internet. The system restore feature enables users to roll back their computers to a previous point in time in order to undo any changes that may have caused an infection.
In summary, Windows Defender is a powerful security program designed to protect Windows operating systems from viruses, spyware, rootkits, Trojans and other malicious software. It utilizes multiple layers of protection including signature-based detection, heuristics-based detection, cloud-based protection, a firewall, and a system restore feature in order to keep users safe from cyber threats.