Smarter Geek

Microsoft have just released to the public beta of a new version of Microsoft Security Essentials. This new versions looks relatively unchanged from the previous version with only a few added features.

Windows Firewall Integration – While the product itself does not include a firewall it now prompts you to turn on the firewall on during install.

Enhance protection from web-based threat – This feature does real time scanning of your web traffic into your computer to ensure that there are no malicious scripts being downloaded.

New and improved protections engine – The scanned engine has now enhanced detection and cleaner and better performance. Microsoft Security Essentials is already a really fast performing AV product only make it better.

See the new “Enable network protection against exploits of known vulnerabilities” real-time scanning option.

You can download it right now from https://connect.microsoft.com/securityessentials

Microsoft has now released the final version of Microsoft Security Essentials to the public for everyone to download and install. This is Microsoft first venture in giving away free anti-virus software since DOS 6.2. Back then Microsoft removed it from DOES 6.22 because virus’s were being written specify to target the in-build AV software. This time the product is quick, non-obtrusive and easy to install. Hopefully we will see a lot of smaller OEM’s pre-loading MSE on computer’s but it is unlikely to be shipped on the larger OEM’s as they get paid by the AV companies to pre-load there trial version’s of their products.

You can get Microsoft Security Essentials from http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Virus, Spyware & Malware Protection | Microsoft Security Essentials

  And here is why i think it has…

• Windows 7 – It just rocks
• Hyper-V R2 – VMWare Killer
• Windows Server 2008 R2 – Just like Windows Server 2008 but even better
• Xbox 360 – Clearly it is the best high powered gaming console on the market
• Bing – Cam out with a bang and people are still talking about it over a month after its launch
• ZuneHD – Will simply be the best portable media device on the market
• Exchange 2010 – Will make corporate emails systems much faster and more reliable
• Office 2010 – Like Windows 7 it is a highly pimped version of its predecessor
• Project Natal – Is going to be the must have device of 2010
• Microsoft Security Essentials – Finally Microsoft will have a free anti-virus system (not including Dos 6.20 )

All these products are now either out or going to come out in the next 12 months and all are going to be huge successes.

Preston Gralla also thinks so at  Here’s why Microsoft has got its mojo back – Computerworld Blogs

I have just loaded Microsoft Security Essentials on my computer and first impression so far are that it is a very easy, quick and simple AV program… So far I am very impressive and it is everything that a AV software should be “FREE”.

This will really take the wind out of the sail of all the Mac pundits that say that Windows is more expensive because you have to pay for expensive AV software every year… 

So if you want to start saving money you can now get it here https://connect.microsoft.com/securityessentials/

Microsoft will be releasing a free anti-virus package called Microsoft Security Essentials starting from 23rd June 2008 that is a bare bones AV product. So no more annoying pop-up reminding me to renew my AV subscriptions at the most inconvenient time.