Windows Defender - Enabling Antivirus Threat Protection & Windows Firewall
This article describes the process of enabling/checking that Windows Defender Threat Protection & Firewall security settings are enabled.
What is Windows Defender?
The Office of Cybersecurity recommends enabling Windows Defender on personal devices owned by University Faculty, Staff and Students. Windows Defender is the built-in endpoint protection software that is available on all currently supported Windows Operating Systems (including Windows 10). It has been designed to fill the role of traditional antivirus software at no additional cost to the user. Windows Defender blocks malicious files as they enter the system, allows users to manually trigger scans to search for malicious files, protects against active malicious threats, and provides a firewall to protect against network attacks. The Windows Defender protection suite is enabled by default on Windows computers, unless you have any additional antivirus software (such as Symantec or Malwarebytes) installed.
Verifying that Windows Defender is Enabled on your Computer:
Note: If you are currently running campus' previously available antivirus tool, Symantec Endpoint Protection, please follow the instructions in this article to uninstall Symantec before proceeding with the steps below to enable Windows Defender.
Running a Scan With Windows Defender:
For steps on how to run an antivirus scan with Windows Defender, see this KB article.
Questions about Windows Defender:
For useful articles on how to use various Windows Defender features, navigate to the Security & Privacy page of Microsoft's Support Site.
If you encounter errors relating to Windows Defender, or you need general assistance, contact Microsoft Support through the support portal here.
If you have additional questions, please contact the DoIT Help Desk for assistance.
The Office of Cybersecurity recommends enabling Windows Defender on personal devices owned by University Faculty, Staff and Students. Windows Defender is the built-in endpoint protection software that is available on all currently supported Windows Operating Systems (including Windows 10). It has been designed to fill the role of traditional antivirus software at no additional cost to the user. Windows Defender blocks malicious files as they enter the system, allows users to manually trigger scans to search for malicious files, protects against active malicious threats, and provides a firewall to protect against network attacks. The Windows Defender protection suite is enabled by default on Windows computers, unless you have any additional antivirus software (such as Symantec or Malwarebytes) installed.
Verifying that Windows Defender is Enabled on your Computer:
Note: If you are currently running campus' previously available antivirus tool, Symantec Endpoint Protection, please follow the instructions in this article to uninstall Symantec before proceeding with the steps below to enable Windows Defender.
- Log into your Windows computer.
- Click on the Windows Start Button (bottom left of your desktop), and then click the Settings gear icon to open Windows Settings.
- Click the "Update and Security" button.
- Select Windows Security from the Update & Security options pane that appears.
- Select Virus & Threat Protection and the "Virus & Threat Protection" window should appear.
- The first screenshot below shows what the Virus & Threat Protection window should look like if Windows Defender is enabled and protecting the computer.
If Symantec Endpoint Protection is installed on your machine you should see something like the screenshot below. If this is the case, follow the steps in this article to uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection (unless you plan to purchase your own private license).
- To further verify that Windows Defender Antivirus is fully enabled, click on "Manage Settings" link underneath "Virus and threat protection settings" (screenshot a). Verify that "Real-time protection" and "Cloud-delivered protection" are enabled (screenshot b).
screenshot a
screenshot b
- Finally, check that the Windows Defender Firewall (network protection) is turned on by clicking the Network Icon on the left hand side of the Threat Protection Window (shown below).
- This is the Network Firewall page, where you can verify that the Public, Domain and Private Firewalls are turned on (screenshot a). Screenshot b below shows the page that appears if you click directly on the "Public Network" Firewall in screenshot a. This is where you can enable the firewall if, for some reason, it had been disabled. Enable the firewall by clicking the sliding button, moving it into the blue "On" position.
screenshot a
screenshot b
Running a Scan With Windows Defender:
For steps on how to run an antivirus scan with Windows Defender, see this KB article.
Questions about Windows Defender:
For useful articles on how to use various Windows Defender features, navigate to the Security & Privacy page of Microsoft's Support Site.
If you encounter errors relating to Windows Defender, or you need general assistance, contact Microsoft Support through the support portal here.
If you have additional questions, please contact the DoIT Help Desk for assistance.