When Microsoft finally launched Windows 10 in mid-2015, there were many news that also came to us from the firm. Many of them were launched jointly to the system as happened with Edge or Windows Defender, which we will talk about here.
Security is one of the aspects that increasingly worries most of the users. For this we use certain solutions that help us protect our data and equipment. Therefore, as we told you, one of the novelties that the Windows 10 operating system brought with it was Windows Defender. Actually here we refer to a new antivirus that came as an improved version of Microsoft's Security Essential solution that had so little success.
This was the Microsoft antivirus that had been accompanying us since XP and the truth is that it left much to be desired. But things changed a lot with this release that we are talking about here. It must be recognized, at this point, that Windows Defender today has become one of the best antivirus on the market. This is something that it undoubtedly achieves thanks to the high threat detection rates it achieves. To all this we can add spectacular performance in the operating system, where it adapts perfectly.
As it could not be otherwise, a good part of its success is given by the enormous functionality that the antivirus presents us. In addition, this is something that is increasing thanks to the constant updates that Microsoft sends.
What is Windows Defender Application Control
As we mentioned before, when we talk about Windows Defender, we are actually referring to a powerful antivirus integrated into Windows 10. At first we find it ready in the System Configuration application.
At the same time, once we access the security functionality as such, we find all the features that make it up. In addition, many of these can be activated or deactivated, as well as customize a good part of its parameters. In this way we can have an antivirus perfectly integrated into Windows 10 and also free. Here we are going to focus on a specific function that can be very helpful.
We refer to the one known as Application and browser control. To give you a more exact idea of what we are talking about here, say that this feature is used to increase the security of the operating system. As you can imagine, it is part of the antivirus that we are talking about in these lines and by default it is disabled. In fact, it is responsible for protecting the PC against potentially dangerous or unwanted programs, files and websites.
This prevents malicious elements from reaching the PC in the form of separate applications or files that we download thanks to the additional analysis carried out by the Windows Defender Application Control function. And we must bear in mind that potential malicious codes are lurking there. This is something that is especially evident if we make continuous use of the Internet or download a lot of content.
How to enable Application and Browser Control
We have already mentioned that when we install Windows 10 on a computer, it already integrates Windows Defender inside. Of course, something that we must take into account is that not all its functions are activated from the beginning. This is precisely the case that we are talking about in these same lines. Therefore, if we want to improve the security of Windows 10 and increase the usefulness of its antivirus, let's see how to do it.
In order to activate the application and browser control that we are talking about, the first thing we do is access the Settings application. For example, this is something that we achieve through the Win + I key combination. Once here, we have more to click on the Update and security section of the window that we see.
To access the antivirus as such, all we have to do is go to Windows Security in the left panel. Next, in the right panel, we click on the button called Open Windows Security. This gives way to the antivirus itself, which opens in a new window. Well, in it, if we look at the panel on the left, we will see an Application Control entry and navigated, where we click.
This will give us what we are looking for here, so we only have to click on the Activate button. At that time the function will start in the background.
Drawbacks of turning on Windows Defender Application Control
It is clear that the general protection of the Redmond operating system will increase with this move that we just made. In this way we can download all kinds of content from the Internet, since those that are potentially dangerous, Windows Defender will block them.
In addition, this is something that is extended to both the programs and the individual files that we download or install on the PC. But of course, not everything was going to be advantages in this sense. We tell you this because how could it be otherwise, this is a functionality that when it is running, activated, consumes certain computer resources. It is still an additional method or analysis in search of potential malicious code in the content that we download or install.
This consumption of both RAM and CPU memory can be especially evident if we have a somewhat old or limited computer in terms of specifications. However, if we work with a more or less current PC on a daily basis, we will not notice this change or greater consumption of resources. Therefore, in many cases this is a function that we will be interested in activating in Windows Defender. And in older or limited equipment, at least we can do it temporarily or when we have doubts about certain content.
Date update on 2021-06-13. Date published on 2021-06-13. Category: Computer class Author: Oscar olg Fuente: cursosonlineweb