I stick with Windows Defender and pair it with Malwarebytes Free. Together, they catch most threats without slowing down my system. Defender handles real-time stuff, while Malwarebytes is great for second-opinion scans.
One habit that really helps—never download files from unknown sources or random websites. I’ve also disabled auto-run for USB drives so nothing sneaky runs when I plug in external storage.
Regular updates might seem annoying, but they’re essential. I always install Windows and app updates as soon as they’re available. A lot of malware exploits old vulnerabilities that updates patch.
I don’t use an admin account for everyday work. I log in as a standard user, so even if something bad gets through, it doesn’t have permission to install or change much.
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