If you thought that anti-virus software was something that got in the way of doing what you wanted to do, then it's time to think again.
Microsoft's long promised free anti-virus tool has finally arrived, and there's no longer any excuse for not protecting your PC. Microsoft Security Essentials is free, unobtrusive, and it works.
When Microsoft closed down its OneCare service, and announced that it was going to be releasing a free security tool, it was easy to make jokes. OneCare hadn't been a success, and its anti-virus component wasn't as effective as many of the free alternatives.
But Microsoft rarely gives up, and it hired several well-respected antivirus researchers to give its security practice a much needed boost – initially for its enterprise ForeFront solution, and then to work on a consumer version, codenamed Morro.
The install is quick and easy, with three versions available for download. One is for 32-bit XP systems, the others are separate 32- and 64-bit releases for Vista and Windows 7. Clocking at just over 4MB, it takes less than a minute to download over a broadband connection.
Once installed it will automatically update to new versions as they come out, and then regularly download updated signature files as they become available from Microsoft Update.
When you're up and running, Security Essentials will download the most recent set of signatures and scan your PC for the first time.
MSE's scanner is quite nippy – and it scanned our heavily loaded test PC in under 10 minutes. We're still not sure about the default scan settings, though.
Back when we looked at the beta we said that the default system scan time of 2am on a Sunday morning wasn't suitable for most home PCs, which were likely to be off at that time.
Yes, MSE does offer real time scanning of files as you open them, and when you download them from the web, but that doesn't stop a zero day exploit getting past MSE.
That's the value of regular system scans, as they catch malware that's infected a PC in the brief window of opportunity before a new signature file arrives.
We'd recommend changing the default scan time to something that's more suitable as soon as possible. It's also a good idea to see if MSE's default actions are what you want.
The warning dialog box is clear and descriptive, with links to additional online information. There's enough information to help even the most naive user decide what to do.
Each copy of MSE isn't on its own, either. They're all part of Microsoft's SpyNet service.
If a new piece of malware appears on the net, and if it's detected by MSE, then it'll report back to Microsoft, and the information used to help build a signature file that can be delivered to every MSE (and every ForeFront) install.
Security Essentials turns every PC that runs it into part of a massive honeypot, making MSE not just an anti-malware tool, but also an early-warning system for all Internet-connected Windows PCs.
We ran MSE on several machines throughout the beta, and hardly noticed it. Once or twice when a PC was turned on after being off for a few days it recommended a manual scan, but that was the total extent of our interactions with the tool.
In fact, if you're using Windows 7, you're unlikely to realise that it's there at all, as the status icon is kept with the rest of the hidden task bar icons.
This really is essential software for your PC, and for anyone who's PC you're supporting. Thanks to MSE there's really no need to think about installing anti-virus software on a Windows PC – it's now just a matter of deciding whether to use MSE or another anti-malware package.
Microsoft really has stepped up to the mark here, providing Windows PCs with the essential security tools they need.
Pros:
Microsoft Security Essentials is one of the simplest and easiest to use anti-malware tools around. It's quick, unobtrusive and works without slowing your PC down.
Malware is caught quickly, and the default actions work well for most users. It's a small download, and keeps itself up to date, and above all, it's free – with no need to register or re-register.
Cons:
There really isn't much to dislike here, as MSE does what it says on the tin, raising the bar for all the other anti-malware vendors out there.
Our one big caveat is the default time for scheduled complete system scans. Once a week at a time a PC is likely to be off is not good enough, by a long way.
Final Verdict
If you're not running anti-virus software, you really have no excuse. MSE is free, simple to use- and has been tested by independent anti-malware certification bodies.
It may not have all the features of other security suites out there, but that's really not that important – especially when widespread use of MSE should help make it a safer internet for everyone.
Microsoft's long promised free anti-virus tool has finally arrived, and there's no longer any excuse for not protecting your PC. Microsoft Security Essentials is free, unobtrusive, and it works.
When Microsoft closed down its OneCare service, and announced that it was going to be releasing a free security tool, it was easy to make jokes. OneCare hadn't been a success, and its anti-virus component wasn't as effective as many of the free alternatives.
But Microsoft rarely gives up, and it hired several well-respected antivirus researchers to give its security practice a much needed boost – initially for its enterprise ForeFront solution, and then to work on a consumer version, codenamed Morro.
The install is quick and easy, with three versions available for download. One is for 32-bit XP systems, the others are separate 32- and 64-bit releases for Vista and Windows 7. Clocking at just over 4MB, it takes less than a minute to download over a broadband connection.
Once installed it will automatically update to new versions as they come out, and then regularly download updated signature files as they become available from Microsoft Update.
When you're up and running, Security Essentials will download the most recent set of signatures and scan your PC for the first time.
MSE's scanner is quite nippy – and it scanned our heavily loaded test PC in under 10 minutes. We're still not sure about the default scan settings, though.
Back when we looked at the beta we said that the default system scan time of 2am on a Sunday morning wasn't suitable for most home PCs, which were likely to be off at that time.
Yes, MSE does offer real time scanning of files as you open them, and when you download them from the web, but that doesn't stop a zero day exploit getting past MSE.
That's the value of regular system scans, as they catch malware that's infected a PC in the brief window of opportunity before a new signature file arrives.
We'd recommend changing the default scan time to something that's more suitable as soon as possible. It's also a good idea to see if MSE's default actions are what you want.
The warning dialog box is clear and descriptive, with links to additional online information. There's enough information to help even the most naive user decide what to do.
Each copy of MSE isn't on its own, either. They're all part of Microsoft's SpyNet service.
If a new piece of malware appears on the net, and if it's detected by MSE, then it'll report back to Microsoft, and the information used to help build a signature file that can be delivered to every MSE (and every ForeFront) install.
Security Essentials turns every PC that runs it into part of a massive honeypot, making MSE not just an anti-malware tool, but also an early-warning system for all Internet-connected Windows PCs.
We ran MSE on several machines throughout the beta, and hardly noticed it. Once or twice when a PC was turned on after being off for a few days it recommended a manual scan, but that was the total extent of our interactions with the tool.
In fact, if you're using Windows 7, you're unlikely to realise that it's there at all, as the status icon is kept with the rest of the hidden task bar icons.
This really is essential software for your PC, and for anyone who's PC you're supporting. Thanks to MSE there's really no need to think about installing anti-virus software on a Windows PC – it's now just a matter of deciding whether to use MSE or another anti-malware package.
Microsoft really has stepped up to the mark here, providing Windows PCs with the essential security tools they need.
Pros:
Microsoft Security Essentials is one of the simplest and easiest to use anti-malware tools around. It's quick, unobtrusive and works without slowing your PC down.
Malware is caught quickly, and the default actions work well for most users. It's a small download, and keeps itself up to date, and above all, it's free – with no need to register or re-register.
Cons:
There really isn't much to dislike here, as MSE does what it says on the tin, raising the bar for all the other anti-malware vendors out there.
Our one big caveat is the default time for scheduled complete system scans. Once a week at a time a PC is likely to be off is not good enough, by a long way.
Final Verdict
If you're not running anti-virus software, you really have no excuse. MSE is free, simple to use- and has been tested by independent anti-malware certification bodies.
It may not have all the features of other security suites out there, but that's really not that important – especially when widespread use of MSE should help make it a safer internet for everyone.
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