Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are two Microsoft products that work together to help ensure the security of a user’s computer. Both are essential for keeping a computer safe from malicious software and other threats.
Windows Defender is an antivirus program developed by Microsoft to protect a computer from malware, viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, and other malicious software. It can detect and remove malicious programs that are already installed on your computer, as well as scan incoming and outgoing Internet traffic to prevent malicious attacks. Windows Defender also has features to protect against phishing, which is a form of fraudulent communication designed to obtain information such as usernames and passwords.
The Windows Firewall is a software application designed to filter network traffic. It provides protection by controlling which applications can connect to the Internet and which local networks they can access. It also blocks certain types of traffic, such as malicious traffic or unwanted content. The Windows Firewall can be configured to allow certain applications to connect to the Internet while blocking others.
The main difference between Windows Defender and Windows Firewall is that Windows Defender is primarily an antivirus program, whereas Windows Firewall is a program used for filtering network traffic. Windows Defender is the first line of defense against malicious software, whereas Windows Firewall is used to protect against unwanted content and malicious traffic.
Additionally, Windows Firewall can be configured to allow certain applications to connect to the Internet, while prevention from malicious traffic is handled by Windows Defender instead. This means that applications like email, web browsers, and other programs that require an internet connection won’t be blocked by the Windows Firewall but will still be scanned by Windows Defender.
In summary, Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are two different applications designed to protect a computer from different types of security threats. While they both serve the same purpose of keeping a computer secure, they operate in different ways. Windows Defender is an antivirus program that scans incoming and outgoing traffic to detect and remove malicious programs, while Windows Firewall is a program used to control and filter network traffic.