Microsoft Security Essentials Update
by Frank Jovine on 10/16/2009 in Antivirus Software, Security
Free is not always good when you want a quality product, but so far Microsoft’s Free Security Essentials has proved otherwise. To date, Microsoft counted 4 million total malware detections on more than 500,000 machines during the one-week period; 52 percent of them were on XP machines. Vista was next, with 32 percent of detections, followed by Windows 7, with 16 percent. “This follows our usual observed trend of seeing less malware on newer OSes and service packs,” Microsoft said.
The U.S., China and Brazil were the top three countries reporting malware detections, with more than a quarter of all detections occurring in the U.S.
Microsoft’s Free Security Essentials was built primarily for the Windows 7 platform, but it’s still cleaning up XP machines nicely.
Trojans were the top detected threat in the U.S., while China had mostly unwanted software threats, and worms – (particularly Conficker). The Conficker worm has been doing a lot of damage in China so this is not surprising news.
Security Essentials is available in 19 countries.
Antivirus vendors have predictably downplayed the effect of Microsoft’s free AV efforts, but the product has received generally favorable reviews as a lightweight but generally effective security product. It competes head-on with AVG’s free antivirus software, which has about 85 million users, AVG says.
Why would other Antivirus vendors downplay Microsoft’s free AV? It’s FREE and it works!
Visit Microsoft Security Essentials and get your free copy.
BunnygotBlog
Oct 16th, 2009
This is great information. Frank.
Thank you
Frank J
Oct 16th, 2009
Bunny Honey!
Thank you as always! When are you getting married? I would like to honor you and your best friend in a post one day.
Mayank
Oct 28th, 2009
Hi…..
Please give me MSE update link for download.
Frank J
Oct 28th, 2009
Mayank,
Visit Microsoft’s website and search for Microsoft Security Essentials to get the latest update.
Michael Aulia
Oct 16th, 2009
Yeah I love using Microsoft Security Essentials. Except for the fact that it keeps on asking me to submit some files for analysis grrr…was trying to find out how to switch it off
Frank J
Oct 16th, 2009
Michael,
They’re trying to get more information about the product and they need us to provide information. This is a great path that MS is taking.
BunnygotBlog
Oct 16th, 2009
What I hate is my security pops up a window wanting me to make rule every time something is updated.
Life needs to get easier.
Frank J
Oct 16th, 2009
Bunny,
You know that with all the software and updates that are offered, you probably interact more with updates than friends. It’s not a bad thing as security is important to keep us productive and safe.
BunnygotBlog
Oct 16th, 2009
lol~ you got that right.
I am more in lock down ~ partly because of all the security programs. The other part I am married too. ;p
Mike McEvoy
Oct 16th, 2009
Good info. I had lost track of where MS was on this product. I had seen something else recently that said positive things about the MS Free Security Essentials. I can’t imagine that the people at AVG or Avast are feeling too good about this.
Frank J
Oct 16th, 2009
Mike,
I am not sure if they’re one of the vendors that are apposed to Microsoft’s SE AV.
Biometric
Oct 17th, 2009
I’m curious to see how Windows 7 performs in regards to virus threats.
I am a dual PC and Mac user and after 4 years I have had numerous attacks, threats, trojans, lost files, etc. on almost every version of windows. My mac has had nothing.
Frank J
Oct 17th, 2009
Microsoft Security Essentials was made for Win 7 so I am sure it will do the trick.