Microsoft Releases Defender Online for Various Platforms

Do you remember the days when it was a suicide to launch Windows without third-party antivirus software? Microsoft has come a long way since then, and now it’s bold enough to launch its security suites for other platforms too. Microsoft Defender is a cloud-based security solution for various platforms, both desktop, and mobile.

Defender functions as a dashboard where you can see gathered information about potential risks and dangers and control the level of protection. There you can read alerts about emergency events (for example, if your passwords are exposed), changes in policy, and so on. Being a cloud solution, Defender lets you check the status of other devices with your account when they’re online.

The app is also available for Android and iOS, but its functionality is limited there. On devices by Apple, the only element working is phishing protection: as you try to follow some link, Defender checks whether it is a phishing page. Android users can also enjoy antivirus protection and a malware scanner.

As for Windows users, they can keep using their favorite third-party security suite, and Defender will not stand in its way. But if somehow you forget to make a payment or decide to remove that other antivirus, Defender will not leave you without a shield in the dark forest of the Internet.

Defender is available as a part of Microsoft 365, a package that includes Microsoft Office with AI-assisted cloud features, OneDrive storage, MS Teams, Outlook premium features, and now Defender as well. On platforms other than Windows, Defender is free, but its functionality, as you see, is limited.

Do you trust security solutions by Microsoft? Have you had any issues with Windows Defender, the previous version of MS Defender? Did any third-party antivirus solution perform better? If so, drop some names in the comments!