Do I Need Malware Protection

We have a great question in the inbox from a listener named Dave, who writes:

'I’ve been told by a mate that I absolutely need to use Malwarebytes to protect my PC from spyware. Will Windows Defender just do it for free, or am I leaving myself exposed?'
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Dave, the short answer is: Yes, Windows Defender will absolutely protect you from spyware for free, and for most everyday users, it is completely sufficient on its own.

​Years ago, the security landscape was different. Anti-virus programs only looked for traditional 'viruses,' while standalone programs like Malwarebytes were invented to catch the sneaky things that slipped through—like spyware, adware, and tracking cookies.

But Microsoft has completely closed that gap. The modern app, now called Microsoft Defender, isn't just a basic virus scanner anymore. It’s a full-fledged security suite running in real-time. It actively monitors your system behavior, blocks spyware, and stops malicious downloads. What’s more it routinely gets perfect scores in independent lab tests alongside the big paid names.

So, is Malwarebytes completely useless now? Not at all, but how you use it has changed.

The free version of Malwarebytes doesn't offer real-time, round-the-clock protection anymore—that's a paid premium feature. Instead, the free version is now the ultimate 'second-opinion' tool. It is incredibly good at scanning an already-infected system and cleaning up deeply rooted junk, grayware, or malicious browser extensions that other scanners might miss.

So., keep Windows Defender turned on as your primary, always-on shield. It’s free, it’s built-in, and it handles spyware beautifully. But, keep the free version of Malwarebytes sitting in your digital toolkit. If your PC ever starts acting sluggish or you suspect something slipped past the gates, fire up Malwarebytes for a manual, one-off scan to clean the house then uninstall it so you don't get nagging reminders to pay for the premium version.

Thanks for the question, Dave! Keep them coming.

Ep360

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