Tag: SECURITYESSENTIALS

Microsoft recently delivered a patch for its malware and antivirus tools, including Security Essentials, Windows Defender, MSRT, and Forefront -- its enterprise antivirus solution. The patch addresses a flaw in Microsoft's scanning engine which could allow an attacker who had a valid username and password to gain elevated rights on a system. As is often the case with these flaws, the fact that ...

2010 has been one heck of a year for software development. We've seen scores of great new apps released and major updates for many of our favorites. "Release early, iterate often" has become the norm -- with alpha and beta downloads coming at us fast and 0.1 becoming the new 1.0. The speed of change with some apps has been mind-boggling at times. Can you believe that Google Chrome's stable ...

Our regular readers can probably rattle off a list of their 20 favorite apps without breaking a sweat -- as the comments on this post will no doubt prove. But for our less in-the-know friends, family, and co-workers, it can be challenging to figure out where to download high quality programs that actually do what they need them to do. We've put together an assortment that will help you hit the ...

Microsoft has pushed an update to Security Essentials 2, which is currently in beta testing. While there aren't a vast number of forward-facing changes, there is one important one: the re-introduction of context menu scanning. Once again, you can right-click any file on your system to quickly check it for infection with MSE. When Security Essentials 2 is finally released, it will include ...

Straight out of the "you knew it was coming" files, PC Pro is reporting the first public call for a security software ballot in Windows. Panda echoes the shouts from Trend Micro, who were the first to cry foul over Microsoft's recent decision to offer Security Essentials to unprotected Windows users as an optional Windows Update download. Panda's Luis Corrons told PC Pro, "There should be a ...

When I wrote about Microsoft's decision to begin offering Security Essentials via Windows Update to users who didn't already have an antivirus program installed, I wondered how long it would be until someone shouted "Unfair!" I wasn't the only one, either -- ZDnet's Ed Bott had similar concerns. This morning, Computerworld is reporting that Trend Micro -- who develop a range of antivirus and ...

We're big fans of Microsoft Security Essentials -- it's lightweight, free, and offers malware protection that's every bit as good as (if not better than) more recognized names like Norton and McAfee (quit giggling, DS regulars...). Today, Microsoft has begun offering Security Essentials as an optional install via Windows Update. Like Live Essentials and the Windows 7 Language Packs, users can ...

With 30 million users in 74 countries -- amassed in just over a year -- Microsoft Security Essentials' rise to popularity has been nothing short of meteoric. So it really didn't come as a surprise last month when people were overjoyed at news from the Microsoft SMB Community Blog: Security Essentials was about to become free for use in small business settings. The change took place yesterday, ...

It's a bit hard to believe, but it's only been one short year since Microsoft introduced Security Essentials to the world. So, how do you celebrate the first birthday of an anti-malware app that is loved by tens of millions of users? With a cake and a couple of blog posts, of course! Over at the Windows Team Blog, they're focused on numbers -- here are few key ones: 30 million users in 74 ...

Many of our readers have made the switch to Microsoft Security Essentials for malware and virus defense. It's free, and it offers protection that is every bit as good as (if no better than) commercial apps like Norton and McAfee. Anxious to know what's coming in version 2? Wait no more, the beta download is out now! So what's new? MSE's defenses have been beefed up with a new scanning engine, ...

When it first hit the blogosphere, Matousec's announcement about a failing in the way most Windows antivirus software operates sounded like a huge threat. "100% of the applications tested were compromised!" they reported. And yes, oh crap, that makes things sound pretty serious. Especially when you report this news on a post entitled "KHOBE: 8.0 earthquake for Windows desktop security ...

Yesterday, I showed you a pain-free way to get rid of excess software that comes bundled on new systems and replace it with high-quality free programs. Those of you who want a bit more choice than what Ninite offers will probably do your installs manually -- so let's take a look at some antivirus options for your Windows 7 system. There are plenty of pay-for programs you probably already about, ...

I'm a huge fan of Security Essentials (and Windows 7, and a number of other MS products, but I digress). It's quickly become my recommended free antivirus app of choice and protects all three of the laptops in my house. And I've got plenty of company. The Microsoft Malware Protection Center blog has posted some interesting numbers. After its first week, Security Essentials has already been ...