Wondering whether you should turn off Microsoft Defender on Windows? Here’s why you should and how to stay safe afterwards.
Windows Defender, now known as Microsoft Defender, is Windows’ built-in antivirus software. It’s completely free to use and comes enabled with every Windows device.
But not all default settings and software are necessary or even beneficial. So, what are some reasons to turn off Microsoft Defender on Windows 10? And how do you make sure it’s safe to do so?
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1. Installing Another Antivirus Software
When it comes to security and antivirus software, two are not better than one. Whether it’s free antivirus, like Bitwarden or Avast, or a complete security suite, your new software won’t work properly alongside Windows Defender.
And while Windows Defender can turn itself off if it detects another antivirus in order to avoid interference, it’s not always reliable.
Since Windows Defender is an antivirus responsible for constantly scanning your device for suspicious activity and self-duplicating files that could be a sign of malware, it could detect the other antivirus doing its job and interrupt it, and vice versa.
With two antivirus software running simultaneously, you don’t get all of the benefits but you do get the drawbacks—from frequent software crashes and your device overloading to even crashing your operating system.
2. Privacy Concerns
Antivirus software is designed to ensure maximum security, not privacy. By using antivirus, whether it’s Windows Defender or third-party software, you’re allowing the antivirus full access to all your files and web traffic.
While most antivirus providers assure users that they aren’t spying on them or collecting any type of data, you can only take their word for it in most cases.
Regardless, whether the antivirus company has a clean record or not, if you have serious privacy concerns or use your device to access and manage highly sensitive data, using consumer-grade antivirus software might not be your best option.
3. CPU and Disk Space Optimization
Similar to other apps, your antivirus uses up your device’s resources while it’s running, from CPU to disk space and RAM. But unlike most apps, Windows Defender never stops.
It’s constantly monitoring and scanning your device for viruses, malware, and spyware, which could be resource-intensive, preventing you from using your device’s hardware to the fullest.
While you should be prepared for sacrificing a portion of your computational power for your security, Windows Defender is particularly greedy when it comes to CPU and RAM usage.
It’s even more of a problem when it runs a deep scan, sometimes taking most of your device’s resources, making it near impossible to use other intensive apps while scanning.
It’s important that you keep your antivirus software up-to-date at all times. If your security suite is running on an older version, it poses serious risks to your security. For example, it won’t be able to deal with newer malware and won’t include more advanced protection methods.
The same applies to Windows Defender, except it doesn’t update on its own like third-party antivirus. It instead relies on regular Windows 10 updates to install patches. But if an error occurs while updating Windows or if you decide to skip an update, Windows Defender won’t get updated. That makes it more of a security risk than a security measure.
5. Application Interference
Windows Defender is notorious for preventing you from installing certain software. This is often the case with apps that act as a server and accept incoming data from the internet, such as online games.
The same applies to those that require system access and use file recovery tools. Sure, you can easily avoid this by adjusting Windows Defender settings and whitelisting some apps, but it could still be bothersome if you use blocked apps regularly.
Before You Disable Windows Defender
As antivirus software, Windows Defender is the first line of defense between you and any malicious software you might stumble upon while browsing the internet or using external storage.
Disabling it without proper consideration could be detrimental to your security.
Is It Safe to Disable Windows Defender?
On its own, it is entirely safe to disable Windows Defender. The problem arises when you disable it without providing a replacement.
Make sure you have another security suite set up—and of course the onus is still on you to practice sensible safety precautions.
How To Turn Off Windows Defender
Microsoft has made it more challenging to turn off Windows Defender. It removed users’ ability to permanently disable it by altering a registry key called “DisableAntiSpyware.” And while Microsoft claims that this decision was to promote the safety and security for all users, some found the decision bothersome.
Nonetheless, you can still disable Windows Defender on Windows 10 if you find that it does more harm than good.
Your decision doesn’t have to be permanent but can change according to your situation and needs.
So You’ve Decided to Uninstall Windows Defender: What Next?
You definitely shouldn’t stay without antivirus software, especially if you regularly connect to the internet or use external storage. But, whether you’ve got another security system or not, there a few measures you could take to ensure your security.
Stick to Secure Websites
Malware and viruses lurk on suspicious websites. Limit your browsing to websites with a good reputation and have valid SSL certificates, which you can automatically check for using extensions like HTTPS Everywhere on Chrome and Firefox.
Or just check the URL: if it says HTTPS not HTTP, it has an SSL certificate.
Only Download Trusted Files
Downloading pirated software, untrusted files, and unsolicited email attachments is a sure-fire way to infect your device with viruses, spyware, and malware. Without antivirus to scan incoming files, stick to only downloading files from sources you trust. That might even mean phoning up a contact and checking they’ve sent you an attachment.
Avoid the Internet Altogether
If you don’t need to connect to the web and use your device for strictly offline work, going antivirus-free is an okay option for you, allowing you to optimize and use your device to the fullest. Still, you need to be on the lookout for external storage like USB flash drives.
Only Connect to Trusted Networks
Open networks are an easy way for hackers to access your device. Stick to using your home’s or a trusted friend’s internet connection if you don’t have antivirus.
You should also use a VPN to encrypt your data and protect yourself from incoming attacks.
Outdated and dead software is a critical security risk to your device, even if you have an antivirus suite. Make sure all of your apps are running the latest update, and if one is no longer supported, immediately uninstall it.
For the most part, whether you decide on using antivirus other than Windows Defender or not installing one at all, your decision needs to be informed by the latest security threats and updates.
Staying on top of recent security news ensures you don’t fall for new schemes or end up installing third-party antivirus software with security gaps.
