If you do disable the Windows Security app, or configure its associated Group Policy settings to prevent it from starting or running, the Windows Security app might display stale or inaccurate information about any antivirus or firewall products that are installed on the device.It might also prevent Microsoft Defender Antivirus from re-enabling when you uninstall any non-Microsoft antivirus/antimalware software.ĭisabling the Windows Security app can significantly lower the level protection of your device and could lead to malware infection. These capabilities are disabled or set to passive mode when non-Microsoft antivirus/antimalware software is installed on the device and kept up to date. Disabling the Windows Security app does not disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus or Windows Defender Firewall.
