Report: Microsoft to Release Free Antivirus Tuesday
Last week news hit the wire that Microsoft was planning on launching its own antivirus software in the immediate future. The company announced yesterday that we’ll see a beta of the software this coming Tuesday.
Formerly known as Morro, Microsoft Security Essentials endeavors to protect the end-user from various types of malicious software, including trojans, spyware, viruses and even rootkits. Once the final version launches, Microsoft will completely discontinue OneCare, the company’s current security software that it released three years ago.
CNet reports that the software will run on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, will be available in the U.S., Brazil, and Israel in English and Brazilian Portuguese, adding that a public beta version for Simplified Chinese will be available later in the year. Alan Packer, general manager of Microsoft's Anti-Malware team, told the site in an interview that the company doesn't see the software as a direct competitor for other free products. "We don't see Security Essentials as a direct competitor to other free products and suites," said Packer. "We're targeting people who aren't protected" already.
Both Symantec and McAfee seem unfazed by Microsoft's free protection, and even referred back to OneCare. Janice Chaffin, Symantec's Consumer division president, said that Morro is basically a stripped down version of OneCare. "A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected," she told Reuters when news of the software broke last week. McAfee is remaining confident in its ability to compete with "anyone who might enter the marketplace."
What kind of antivirus do you run, and would you be willing to give Microsoft Security Essentials a shot? Let us know in the comments below!
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AVG Free + Windows Firewall. Not a single security issue since 4 years ago. 'Internet Security' is largely overrated - just go for some freebies and a good dose of good sense and you'll be fine.
AVG Free and Windows Firewall - not a single security issue in the last 4 years. Just go for some freebies, add common sense at will, and you'll be safe. 'internet security' softwares are largely overrated.
Sorry about the double post. Couldn't remember my username and the first post returned an error. We should be able to erase our own posts, Tom!
am another running AVG Free and Windows Firewall and happy with the results
Make that a third!
and a fourth
fifth
and sixth.seriously,people just need common sense which is actually lacking these days
I am one of those really sad people that plays World of Warcraft and I have seen WoW accounts lost to every antivirus (due to the viruses) with one exception, Kaspersky Internet Security Suite. I figure you can guess which AV/IS i use
I'm an Avast user. Windows Firewall too. Windows 7. I got sick of the sh*tty firewalls available to me that I just let Microsoft handle it. Especially as they all went proprietary.
Also, that Symantec woman can go shove her idiotic comment up her uneducated ass. Nobody needs a "full internet security suite". Most of the extra functions just don't do anything worthwhile. Most computer dangers are; Viruses/ Worms/ Trojans, direct hacking and exploitation, and of course, the user. A piece of software can't protect you against the third, since it will annoy them.
SYMANTEC HATE RAGE.
lol Windows Firewall is useless!!!
Another avg free and Windows firewall user here on W7. I use clamav on my Fedora partition
Kaspersky IS (but windows firewall on vista). Also used NOD32 in the past.
Only 2 currently I use/ sellin my shop or would reccomend to anyone.
If your too cheap to pay£20 a year for Kaspersky then AVG is good. but in the grand scheme of things it aint that great.
I regularly get customers with it who still have Virus infections,although not on the same scale as norton/mcafee who in my line of work show themselves to be the worst time after time.
Due credit though, they are slowly getting better.
Avast and firewall built into router... Windows firewall is useless however, it actively blocks stuff that you don't want to be blocked like online games, and lets everything else past!
I'm using Avira antivirus and Comodo firewall. I too used to hate firewalls but Comodo is easy to understand.
am into kasperksy,pretty good,and as said b4 some common sense along side the AV ,will do just fine
ESET NOD32 and Windows Firewall.
Linux + common sense.
Seriously - every computer I've used that had a Symantec's product from 2002 onwards installed - was pretty much unusable due to bazilion of popus about viruses installing in the background, CPU was all eaten up by AV trying to figure out what on earth is going on... no memory... drive in constant use... 10 minutes to bootup... and no internet access because "cookies are bad!!!" And the firewall decided that google.co.uk is a malicious website... Seriously - Norton Sucks! Do not use it ever! 
I still have xp/vista installed but use it mainly for games and sometimes for work - I don't have antivirus on either of those two. No viruses for over 2-3 years really... Previously used AVG Free (no firewall), and earlier - NOD. Don't like NOD, as I have tried to "heal" my mate's drive and NOD did not detect a single thing... then AVG just did the job. For proper one-off scanning I found Kaspersky LiveCD to be the most reliable solution (quick, low requirements, auto updates and really removes the baddies, unlike the Avira (Files cannot be removed), NOD32 (No threats found), BitDefender - (found 3 threats but cannot "heal them")... and so on... Kaspersky - found 450 threats all removed. The truth is though that usually when you have a virus - you might as well reinstall the OS - using Live CDs is not going to help you much... But if I were to use windows all the time - AVG seems to do the job. NOD32 - did not. I've stopped using McAfee after their scanner took 5 minutes to load... (and still did not detect a malicious file) And if anybody suggests Symantec here along the words "Full Internet Security" I will be more than happy to start war on that topic.
As for the firewall - IPTables. Now question for you guys - if most of you seat behind a router - why use software firewall at all? Just block some ports, enable others and you don't need firewall at all... NAT will protect you just as well
I hate when people come to me and show what they've installed in order to be "secure" - Norton / ZoneAlarm and then AVG or NOD and McAfee and wonder - hmmm why my computer does not work anymore? Well... because it runs 3 antiviruses, 2 firewalls, and the OS - there is no RAM / CPU time left to do anything else!
Oh yes - and no I will not give m$ a shot - they are useless... Windows Firewall - crap, Windows Defender, and one care? I am sort of glad I haven't heard of it... So, after reading this: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/i [...] rison.aspx I will never trust what MS says
))
Nothing...I just surf the web with common sense and and rent or buy porn....
nod32 trial, then kaspersky trial, then reinstall every 2 months XD (unless i get manage to get a friends serial for updates
I already have to run some free on Windows 7 and most of the products for free seem to be able to play up to the big boys in this market place. As one that used One Care, I thought the product was well catered to protect me and in most cases when confronted with a Virus etc, One Care was able to and promptly removed or locked the offending program. I still have experiences of McAfee and Symantec Virus killers and tools, slowing down my machine or affecting application or even allowing applications to run, but that’s my personal feedback from using those tools.
@tinnerdxp - "Now question for you guys - if most of you seat behind a router - why use software firewall at all? "
Cos 99% of the people have no idea that A. that sort of thing can even be done! B. Know the words but have no idea how to start going about it. C. People like yourself just beating othera down and not even giving a link to a lesson / tips to help others can read up and get better.
I'd be happy to read something like:
(uk) How to secure your BT / SKY / virgin media connection to the evil internet.
KIS and I sit behind an astaro firewall.
Symantec and McAfee are craptabluous in my opinion.