


On a purely practical level, you want your operating system to provide at least some kind of functional protection against malware. Microsoft Defender Antivirus review: Malware protectionĭefender will, of course, still stop malware that comes in via any browser, and if you want to use its dedicated browser protection plugins, these are available for Google Chrome, as well as the Chromium-based Edge. However, it's worth noting that Family Safety browser controls only cover Microsoft's Edge browser and will by default block other browsers. If you set up everyone in your family with their own Microsoft account – the optimal way of configuring Family Safety – all your settings are synced across every device a user is logged into.

Family Safety is fully integrated with Windows, but it also provides comprehensive support for mobile devices that run Android and iOS.įeatures include web-content filtering, screen-time controls, Windows Store purchase protection and family location sharing. But they're incredibly comprehensive and effectively balance parental protection with the rights of older children, in particular to a certain degree of privacy. Microsoft's Family Safety parental controls are primarily web-based and require more configuration than some rivals. You'll find controls for real-time malware protection and on-demand scans, configuration of your ransomware protection, plus links to your firewall and parental controls (these are managed elsewhere). The Windows Security interface is a pleasure to use, as are its related components. Then there's the optional reputation-based protection against potentially unwanted apps and websites to ensure that only known-safe content can be installed or accessed. Folders can be protected from unauthorised changes, and you can also sync important files to (and recover them from) OneDrive cloud storage. You may be surprised to hear that it has dedicated ransomware protection tools, too.

And the final big weapon is Microsoft Family Safety, one of the best parental control suites around. There's also the Windows firewall, which is perfectly functional, even if the interface for opening ports isn't as glossy as some rivals. This includes a raft of anti-malware defences, including the all-important real-time protection.
