Microsoft Security Essentials hasn’t been put through its paces by the industry’s independent, third-party testers yet. However, the malware-detection engine behind it is the same as the one used by the put-to-pasture OneCare consumer product from Microsoft, which has done quite well against both free and paid rivals.
Comparing security software isn’t straightforward because of many new detection technologies developed in recent years, but there are multiple third-party tests that help paint a picture.
Microsoft Security Essentials is also getting good reviews for usability. Paul Thurrott at Supersite for Windows says that it, as promised, runs very light, calling any impact on PC performance “imperceptible.” Moreover, installation “couldn’t be easier” and updates occur quietly without constant annoying pop-up messages. Ed Bott at ZDNet agrees.
However, all these positives don’t mean you should go ditch your paid security software programs. Microsoft Security Essentials doesn’t really include all of today’s security essentials –- there’s no managed firewall, for instance –- and it can’t manage multiple computers on a home network.
Security-software makers are certainly out defending the value of their more comprehensive products. “Referring to Microsoft’s basic antivirus and anti-spyware product as an essential security solution is misleading. Consumers need firewall protection, Web protection, antispam and identity safeguards,” said Symantec in a statement. “You can only get them through a full Internet security suite provided by security experts.”
Randy Abrams of ESET quips that Microsoft Security Essentials reminds him of an ad he once saw for Shoei motorcycle helmets reading, “If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.”
Microsoft antivirus starts public testing next week:
Microsoft will start the public beta-test of its free antivirus software, codenamed Morro, next week at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials. However, you may not get the chance to try it then, if you even want to. According to ZD Net's Ed Bott: "The public beta will be limited to 75,000 downloads."
Morro is not as comprehensive as the paid-for OneCare (which included a Managed Firewall, PC Performance Tuning, Data Backup and Restore, Multi-PC Management, and Printer Sharing) but offers more protection than the free Windows Defender.
Bott has been testing what we can now call Microsoft Security Essentials, and says that:
"Contrary to some recent reports, this isn't a cloud-based service. Instead, it offers a dynamic signature service that pushes signatures on a daily basis, but adds the ability to query the signature service when need to reduce the window of exposure to new malware. By monitoring for suspicious behavior, the service can query for a sample when necessary. Rootkit detection features target kernel-mode malware and can detect the sort of tampering in the kernel that is typical of rootkits."
The service is similar to the antivirus part of the discontinued One Care, which tested well in May 2009, when "the independent AV-Comparatives group" gave it its highest (Advanced+) rating. Bott says:
"Only 3 of the 16 products in the test earned that rating. Microsoft's technology scored second in the accuracy ratings, behind AVIRA but ahead of AVG, Symantec, McAfee, and a dozen other products. And on the crucial measure of delivering the fewest false positives, Microsoft stood far ahead of the pack, delivering the fewest false positives of any program tested."
Sadly, the better it works then the more bananas Symantec and McAfee are going to get, and Symantec is taking an early lead. In a press release, Lee Sharrocks, Symantec's Vice President Consumer Sales EMEA says:
"Microsoft isn't going to change the dynamics of the consumer security industry. The reality is that shareware and freeware vendors have been in the market for 20-plus years. The freeware space is crowded and Microsoft is just joining the fray. In addition, early reviews of the beta are showing that it underperforms when compared to existing freeware products, and well below paid solutions such as Norton AntiVirus."
In that case, Mr Sharrocks, we can assume that Symantec (which pays PC manufacturers to install its own suite as crapware) won't need to go bleating to its friends in the European Commission. It's a pretty good bet that that's exactly what Symantec will do. But if not, damage is already being done.
There was an interesting paragraph in Ars Technica's report:
"One last thing Ars discussed with Burch was the "Essentials" branding. We've seen it before with Windows Live Essentials, but Burch says MSE will not be included in this suite, even though non-Windows Live applications like Silverlight are included. Microsoft is likely aiming to release MSE in time for Windows 7, but unlike Windows Live Essentials, Burch says there will be no download link for MSE included in the final version."
Ars describes this as "a curious decision" because it doesn't make any sense. "Nevertheless, it can be quite easily explained: Microsoft wants to avoid antitrust issues."
In fact, what's really happening is that Microsoft is doing its best to keep away from the European Commission's idiot clutches even though this means not doing what would be best for users. It's an example of the fear of irrational EC action damaging the interests not just of European consumers, but of the rest of the world's, too.
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Kaspersky Lab has pre-announced its latest all-in-one security suite with the lure that it has packed even more protection layers of into one software product.
A look at the features list and the claim stands up well, assuming they work correctly against real-world threats. Internet Security 2010, available from July, covers the standard bases of file-based malware with more complex intermediate threats types that try to attack PCs through web, email and instant messaging ports.
Under a slick-looking interface, the product also includes a two-way soft firewall, an anti-spam filter and a list of interesting features to 'tweak' security beyond simply turning it on and hoping it stops malware. There is a feature to create a rescue disk should the PC become so infected that a clean restart is necessary, and a tool to analyse a PC's behaviour in more detail if malware activity is suspected.
Customers get an 'activity eraser' to hide their Internet usage, a virtual keyboard to confound keyloggers, and a browser security tune-up utility, although the latter only works with Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Is anything missing from the all-encompassing security suite? The one possible omission could have been a tool for assessing the update and vulnerability status of the software on a PC, but the suite even manages to include a component to carry out this task. From the beta software on offer to journalists, it was, however, hard to assess how comprehensive this tool would be in real-world use.
Users not tempted by the maze of security layers that come with Internet Security 2010 can opt for the similarly-revised Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010.This overlaps with the Internet Security suite but omits features such as the firewall and application control as a way of lowering the price.
Available from next month, Kaspersky Internet Suite 2010 for Vista 32/64-bit costs £39.99 for a one year, one desktop license, or £49.99 per annum for a 3-desktop license. This drops to £31.99 and £39.99 respectively for the renewal customers. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 costs £29.99 per annum per desktop, or £39.99 for a 3-desktop version.
The virus was stopped with virus protection software and posed no threat to ISS systems or operations, said NASA spokesperson Kelly Humphries.
Like billionaires, computer viruses occasionally make the trip into space. "It's not the first virus we've seen on the station," said Humphries. "It's not a common occurrence by any means." None of the previous computer viruses found on computers aboard the ISS have had any operational impact, said Humphries. News that a virus had been identified on the ISS was first reported on Monday by online news site SpaceRef.com, which identified the virus as W32.Gammima.AG worm, malware designed to steal logon information from online gamers. It's unlikely that ISS astronauts are playing World of Warcraft in their spare time, however, because the ISS does not have a direct Internet connection. NASA is currently reviewing the incident and may make procedural recommendations based on its findings. The SpaceRef report suggested that a flash card or USB drive brought on board by an astronaut may have been the source of the laptop infection. Citing NASA security policies, Humphries said he could not disclose further details about how the virus was brought to the ISS.
| AVG Antivirus Free Edition 7.0.323 Grisoft |  |
Overall rating: 5/5
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Installation and operation:
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| Capiton |
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Have you been effected by Antivirus System Pro? If so you may want to read how to remove Antivirus System Pro, or this article about being more aware of fake free antivirus software.
One of the best Antivirus System PRO removal guides we found was on Geek Police. Feel free to leave a comment with any issues you have had or with any tips you have for other users.
Overview :
ESET's NOD32 is rapidly becoming one of the best pieces of antivirus software on the market today. ESET's NOD32 once again has delivered an excellent product that is highly effective, and now, easy to use. The strength and beauty of this software is its light footprint, relatively fast scanning and superior ThreatSense® Technology that detects malicious software before it has been reported. Its interface is intuitive and easy to use for the average home user, but can be configured and tweaked by the advanced user. The one-user, one-year package is priced at $39.99, which is the middle range of the antivirus software products reviewed.
Standout Features:
ESET's NOD32 is simple to use right out of the box (figuratively speaking … it’s a download) and requires little or no configuring for the average user. Yes, it’s an “install and forget program! The interface is clean and simple with enable/disable toggles and a configure option for those who are into tweaking their antivirus software. Unlike Kaspersky, which allows you to tailor their software based upon the perceived threat and the level of protection desired, advanced configuring NOD32 requires a bit more knowledge of your system. Fortunately, NOD32 works as it should in its default configuration and most users will never have to do anything but simply install this excellent software.
ESET's NOD 32 is among the most effective antivirus software products on the market today. Independent tests show that NOD32 removed about 98% of the virus threats it faced, putting it on par with BitDefender, “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” winner, and Kaspersky, “TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award” winner. In addition, NOD32 is certified by all the major independent testing laboratories the world over. Of the major antivirus software packages tested, NOD32 interfered less with our other computer operations than any of the other products reviewed. Its spyware protection is a little weaker than one might like, putting it on the same level as Kaspersky's 92%. Where NOD32 stands head and shoulders above its competitors is in its proactive detection and protection.
Most of the reputable antivirus software developers now include a heuristic engine that attempts to detect malware before it has been reported. Some refer to this as “Day Zero” detection because it is able to detect threats before their signatures is has been identified. The idea here is that when the software finds some code that looks malicious, it executes the software in the background to determine if it’s a threat to your machine. ESET has refined this technique like no other antivirus software developer with their ThreatSense® Technology.
This ThreatSense® Technology delivers an excellent detection rate while offering a very fast scan rate. Other antivirus packages offer similar detection rates, such as BitDefender and Kaspersky, but in both of those cases, the penalty you pay are slow scan rates. NOD32 is the only software package reviewed and tested that offered both high detection rates AND fast scan rates, indicating these folks know how to write efficient and effective code (according to the company, NOD32 is written in assembly language, a very efficient, low-level language). ESET could be the sleeper antivirus company ready to take this market by storm in coming years.
Unlike Kaspersky and BitDefender, ESET's NOD32 only updates its virus signatures once a day. That's probably a short enough interval considering that ESET has the power to “push” updates to your computer in the instance of attack. Also, with ESET's highly effective heuristic, proactive engine, it is very likely that NOD32 will recognize malicious code before the signature is available. These two features make us more comfortable with the slightly longer update intervals than some of its competitors have.
ESET's NOD32 is all about effectiveness AND speed. This software uses fewer resources than any of the packages tested and this is a thing of beauty. NOD32 is a breath of fresh air in a world of bloated software in that its code is efficiently written. From the perspective of the average user, this means this software has a light footprint and fast scans, both very good things. Its ThreatSense® Technology’s proactive defense is among the best heuristic programs on the market.
NOD32 offers several layers of protection including real time email scanning, antivirus protection, antispyware protection and rootkit scanner. The email scanner integrates easily and directly into MS Outlook or any other standard POP3 email client. Disappointingly, NOD32 did not have a Parental Control option where parents can block and control what sites their children are able to access online.
NOD32 is among the few antivirus products that still supports such legacy operating systems as-
Installation was prompt and easy. The package is just 34M making it among the lightest antivirus packages we have ever seen. We were disappointed, though, that ESET did not automatically remove the existing antivirus software on our system. Instead, NOD32 prompts you to remove any existing antivirus on your computer before installation.
ESET has made some excellent and necessary improvements in their interface with version 3, making the software far easier and more intuitive to use. Anticipating that the vast majority of people don't want to spend time messing with their antivirus software, but instead just want it to work, ESET crafted NOD32’s interface to be clean and simple. Most people can simply “install and forget” this software. The left-hand column features Protection Status, Computer Scan, Update, Setup, Tools and Help. The right windowpane is reserved for the active feature in use.
Although the features have an enable/disable toggle, the advanced user can simply click on “configure” in any of the features and find all of the advanced tweaks that anyone could ask for. Should you need to remove NOD32 from your computer, there is an uninstall option. After a reboot we found almost no evidence of the product on the machine.
