Yes, Windows Defender does offer protection against online threats. Windows Defender is Microsoft’s anti-virus and anti-malware software built in to the Windows operating system. It provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and other online threats.
Windows Defender utilizes multiple approaches to protecting against online threats. It uses traditional signature-based systems, which means that it searches for malware signatures, and can identify malicious programs on your computer. It also uses heuristic analysis, which means that it can detect malicious activity based on a behavior pattern. In addition, Windows Defender has cloud-based protection which provides access to a massive database of threat signatures, allowing it to detect and quarantine potential threats even if they are not included in its local database.
Beyond just detecting and blocking threats, Windows Defender has additional features that provide further protection against malicious online activity. Its ‘controlled folder access’ feature, for example, can be used to prevent potentially malicious programs from accessing important system files or data. Windows Defender also includes anti-exploit technology which helps protect against targeted attacks, and a ‘network inspection’ feature which can detect and block attempts to gain access to restricted areas of your network.
Finally, Windows Defender also works to protect against phishing attacks, using a technique called ‘smartscreen’. Smartscreen is designed to recognize suspicious websites, and can alert users before they access a site that may be malicious.
In summary, Windows Defender does offer protection against online threats. While it does use signature-based systems for identification, its heuristic analysis, cloud-based protection, controlled folder access, anti-exploit technology, and smartscreen features offer added layers of protection. Using these features, Windows Defender can help protect your computer and information against malicious attacks, and help keep your system safe and secure.