Support for Windows 10 has ended, but Microsoft Defender will continue to protect your PC

Parkinsond

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Microsoft has clarified that Microsoft Defender will continue to receive updates even on legacy systems like Windows 10 to the "extent possible".
What this means is that detection and protection capabilities will continue to be added, but if they rely on features not present in Windows 10, then they won't really make an impact. So you're inherently less secure than you would be as compared to a supported system, but it's still better than not having any security at all.

 
That's good news for folks sticking with Windows 10 a bit longer—Microsoft's basically saying they'll keep Defender fed with updates as much as the old OS allows. But yeah, like you pointed out, it's not a full shield if newer threats need Windows 11/12 features to block properly.

If anyone's on the fence, I'd still recommend upgrading when you can for the best security (and performance perks). In the meantime, layering on something like a third-party AV or good habits (e.g., avoiding sketchy downloads) can help bridge the gap. What are you all running on your Win10 setups?
 
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