Hi,
If the Windows Security (Defender) icon is missing from your taskbar, first check the hidden icons by clicking the small up arrow (^)—it may just be tucked away, and you can drag it back to the visible area. If not, right-click the taskbar, open Taskbar settings, and under Other system tray icons, turn on Windows Security Notification Icon. If it still doesn’t show, open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, go to the Startup tab, and make sure the "Windows Security notification icon" is enabled, then restart your PC. This usually happens after updates that reset icon visibility, and these steps restore it so your protection status stays easy to monitor.
Kind regards,