This article is about ways to protect your PC from viruses that can screw up your computer, or allow criminals to steal your data, personal information, or money.
Security Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Microsoft account dashboard More...Less Keeping your computer secure helps you avoid malware and direct hacking attempts designed to steal your personal information. Here are some ways you can help reduce your online risk when you use your computer at home.
Your privacy on the internet depends on your ability to control both the amount of personal information that you provide and who has access to that information. Find out how to protect your privacy on the internet. When you read email, use social media, or browse the web, you should be wary of scams that try to steal your personal information (also known as identity theft), your money, or both. Many of these scams are known as "phishing scams" because they "fish" for your information. Find out how to protect yourself from phishing scams and avoid tech support scams. One important step toward greater workplace security is to protect your computer against malware. Windows Security (or Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 8 or early versions of Windows 10) is built in to Windows and provides real-time malware detection, prevention, and removal with cloud-delivered protection. It is intended for home, small business, and enterprise customers. For more info, see Help protect my computer with Windows Security. To assist all Windows customers, including those who are not running Windows Security, Microsoft provides Microsoft Defender Offline. Microsoft Defender Offline runs outside of Windows to remove rootkits and other threats that hide from the Windows operating system. This tool uses a small, separate operating environment, where evasive threats are unable to hide from antimalware scanners. With Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft Defender Offline is built in to the operating system and can run from Windows Security. It is provided as a separate download for previous versions of Windows. Learn more about Microsoft Defender Offline |