New free antivirus from microsoft

[mmarinho]

Microsoft released a free antivirus and antispyware "microsoft security essentials". Since last week that I´m using it and I´m very satisfied.

What your opinion about "microsoft security essentials"?


http://www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials/default.aspx?mkt=pt-br

[noaccount]

I still don't trust it, no matter what they say.

[hellnoire]

This has been talked about many times in the forum. General consensus is that it's pretty good, but has it's flaws/downfalls

[ginzon]

Even I got rid of BitDefender to try this one n still using, its pretty goodto come from Microsoft for Free...

Also after its installation found that Automatic Updates was more online and getting all updates for Microsoft OS and Office which I missed, bcoz of which I had to put it on notify b4 download...

It uses Windows Update to update itself...

Atleast it detects most of the viruses that come from my college thats all i want...

[jock]

Not that keen on some Microsoft updates and less keen on their security programs.

[snarff]

As Raymond tested it yet.

[safeguy]

It's not bad but don't rely on it too much. Despite the hype (and whatever testing that has been done), MSE just can't beat other experienced brands.

MSE and Windows Defender doesn't have heuristics (as far as I know)...it's based on signatures and that is not the type of security software that I would put my faith on in these modern times where cybercriminals are waiting right at the doorstep. They might be good (or even excellent) in detecting and removing KNOWN threats but that's not enough...if you are using the internet.

[Ceyfer √]

MSE doesn't have heuristics (as far as I know)...

I think it has.

What your opinion about "microsoft security essentials"?

http://forum.raymond.cc/freebies/14486-microsoft-security-essentials.html

http://forum.raymond.cc/general-forum/15019-opinions-on-microsoft-essentials-security-software.html

[dschrader]

Someone installs a security product and says, "I´m using it and I´m very satisfied."

Not that your experience isn't valid - it just isn't sufficient. Has your new anti-malware detected and removed rootkits and key-loggers from your system? Have you tested the protection it give you when you accidentally surf an infected web site?

How do you know it is actually giving the protection Microsoft claims it is giving? This is sort of like sitting down in a new car and saying, I like the way it drives - without actually turning the key.

So who has tested these things? The only independent tester who has taken a deep dive into MSE (excluding tests sponsored by my employer, Symantec) is
PC Magazine - see http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2353386,00.asp
AV-comparatives on demand (which tested onecare not MSE - but same scan engine) http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2353386,00.asp
av-comparatives malware removal - http://av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/removal-tests

All those testers found problems with MSE. So sure, you can effectively report if a security product has a nice UI, installs neatly, runs without slowing down your system - but you can't report on it's core functionality, that requires specialized testing.

Most importantly, you can't just assume the product does a good job at what the manufacturer says it does.

[djwatford]

The last comment is a biased one as success for MSE will adversely affect his employers.
I have MSE installed on one of my pcs and there have been no problems since its installation.As long as that doesn't change than I will stick with it.
The best advice is that if something is working for you than stick with it.