The New and Improved Microsoft Security Essentials!

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2010/07/20/beta-for-next-version-of-microsoft-security-essentials-now-available.aspx' target='_blank'>http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/...-available.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Microsoft Security Essentials was first released in September 2009 and is our award-winning no-cost light weight anti-malware service. It&rsquo;s designed to help address the ongoing security needs of PCs running genuine Windows &ndash; helping keep people protected from viruses, spyware, and other malicious software."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1279646562.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>I must admit that I currently use Microsoft Security Essentials as my default choice for my Windows based computers.&nbsp; While there are many choices out there, both at a cost and for free, I have found Microsoft's solution to be fairly lightweight and unobtrusive.&nbsp; However, it did seem a bit lacking, acting much like a traditional anti-virus solution one would get five years ago.&nbsp; Their newest beta appears to have changed that, putting it more in line with current generation "Internet Security" solutions.&nbsp; I am disappointed that it only integrates with Internet Explorer and not other browsers, but it is not surprising.&nbsp; As this is a beta, it has not been widely deployed yet, though I am hoping that it will not be a hog when it gets released for real.&nbsp; What is important for you in your anti-virus/trojan/malware/phishing software?&nbsp; Yes, there are some of you who do not use any, but for those that do, do you put thought in what you pick, or does a brand name do it all for you?</p>

[Reid Kistler]

Within reason, I think "behavior" is at least as important as the anti-malware product(s) you use: if you visit risky sites, download odd files, and insist upon opening EVERY e-mail & attachment that comes your way, then you are bound to pick up some sort of malware - :eek: - regardless of what "Anti" program(s) you are running.

Still, we always have at least one Paid AV app / Anti-Malware Suite running - usually on about 3 machines, as that is the normal licensing agreement these days. But also have one or more of the Free apps running on other machines as well, and - just to be on safe side - periodically run one or more of the on-demand scanning engines.

Pay some attention to the latest reviews / user feedback, but mostly stick to a limited number of apps: used Norton &/or SystemSuite for years, then dropped Norton when it got unwieldy (apparently it is back in form now), and have since swapped between SystemSuite &/or ZoneAlarm (Suite). Running SystemSuite on our main machines now (it currently licenses its Anti-malware engine from Sunbelt).

Cannot recall EVER getting a virus on any of the systems on which we were running one of the Free AV apps (AVG, Avast, Avira, Whatever....), although those have typically been secondary personal machines.

Overall, only serious malware we've picked up - for a long time now - was linked to unwise browsing or e-mail: kid's machine(s) would frequently pick junk up from the social / music / video sites they visited. And we had a network-wide infestation some 10 years ago at our office because someone opened the wrong e-mail attachment: and that was within HOURS of implementing the latest Norton update across the network! (Note: not blaming Norton here - fault clearly belongs to the person who opened the attachment.)

OTOH, have regularly - and in a couple of cases, repeatedly - had to clean JUNK off of machines that had Licensed & (apparently) Updated Anti-malware apps installed, simply because the owners / users were careless.... :(

[Chris Gohlke]

Pretty much Windows Security Essentials on everything. I've finally got all the family moved over too (much easier to support one product). I just moved my Mom off AVG last week. AVG had an issue with a false positive that drove her and me insane and really peeved her off since it happened just as she was leaving for vacation and she ended up leaving her computer here with me to fix rather than taking it on her trip as planned.

[Hooch Tan]

Pretty much Windows Security Essentials on everything. I've finally got all the family moved over too (much easier to support one product). I just moved my Mom off AVG last week. AVG had an issue with a false positive that drove her and me insane and really peeved her off since it happened just as she was leaving for vacation and she ended up leaving her computer here with me to fix rather than taking it on her trip as planned.

It's funny, almost all the major anti-virus (Internet security?) providers these days have each had their issues. I'm sure that one will hit MSE at some point. They're young and need time. I remember the office where I work at being crippled when a Comodo update caused their process to suck up 100% of the CPU.