Do I Need Any Additional Security With Windows 10?

Yes, Windows 10 has a built-in anti-virus & anti-malware utility. It is called Microsoft defender [it used to be called Windows defender & you'll notice lots of us still using the abbreviation "WD"].
- The built-in Windows Firewall is also part of WD.

You do not need anything else.

WD's protection capabilities have a good reputation these days - see, for example, www.av-test.org
- The only thing I dislike is that, every so often, it objects to some of my batch file, vbs & VBA scripts. It then seems to settle down again a day later so I think the problem is caused by a particular day's updated malware definitions.

Many people also install the free version of Malwarebytes in order to get an easy second-opinion about anything that looks dodgy.

Denis

Hello @woodbine,

This is obviously a matter of personal choice.

Microsoft Defender [ formerly Windows defender ] has come a LONG way over the past few years and is VERY good. I also understand that Malwarebytes is VERY complimentary with it.

I hope this helps.

Consider security from a different angle.. preserving your setup, protecting your data.

From the outset, consider how and how quickly you would recover from
- a failed or corrupt disk
- theft or loss

To secure both your configuration and your data, start using disk imaging to external storage (safely and separately stored) - E.g. Macrium Reflect (free/paid)+ large enough external storage for image files.

Endlessly recommended by tenforums members.

Oh- and of course restoring a good earlier copy can let you recover from ransomware, viruses too.

Sooner or later, every AV/firewall fails. Use backup software.

davehc said:

... Windows 10 will not be supported by MS in about four years. This, in particular, will ean hat the built in security, including Defender, will not receive very essential updates.

Dave,

Actually, MS have continued to provide anti-malware definitions updates well beyond the end of support for an OS itself. See examples in https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/defenderupdates

All the best,
Denis

davehc said:

I am sure you are correct, but, maybe, not through the normal os update path?

I don't know and I have no means of testing because Windows 10 is my only OS.

All the best,
Denis

woodbine said:

I'm getting a new laptop with Windows 10 S (will be disabling the 'S'). Am I right in thinking that 10 has built in security (anti virus??) and I don't require any additional security except anti malware eg. Malwarebytes?

I have been using just the built in Windows Security (Defender) for years with no problems. Defender includes its own malware protection, turned on by default. I do run an occasional scan with Malwarebytes' ADWCleaner but it never finds anything. By the way, any new PC bought today will almost certainly meet all the requirement for the free upgrade to Windows 11 (and should say so on the manufacturer's web page for that PC) so security after W10 reaches end of support in 2025 is not an issue.

Try3 said:

Actually, MS have continued to provide anti-malware definitions updates well beyond the end of support for an OS itself...

davehc said:

I am sure you are correct, but, maybe, not through the normal os update path?

Try3 said:

I don't know and I have no means of testing because Windows 10 is my only OS....

I do know, I have kept a couple of my machines on Windows 7. They have Microsoft Security Essentials as their AV. It continues to get updates for its virus definitions and scan engine in the normal way through Windows Update, and will continue to do so until January 2023. In addition, W7 continues to get the MSRT.



In fact, that 1.349.720.0 update puts it slightly ahead of my W10 machines, which currently are on 1.349.718.0.