Tag: ANTIVIRUS

There's really no question what the most popular, free antivirus program for Windows is here at Download Squad. You, our readers, make it pretty clear whenever we post about the topic that Microsoft Security Essentials is at the top of the heap -- and we tend to agree. With detection rates every bit as good as some competing paid products (and better than many), MSE might just be the best piece ...

Once upon a time, rogue antivirus apps were pretty much one-trick ponies. They tried to closely mimic the interfaces we recognize from apps like AVG and Microsoft Security Essentials and use goofily-combined names like Super Windows Antivirus 2010 Gold Pro. However, as Sunbelt reports on their official blog, malware authors are now branching out into other types of bogus apps in order to lure ...

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 ...

There was a time when Mac users enjoyed "security by obscurity." Because of the much smaller number of Mac users in the world, malware authors didn't bother targeting Apple desktops and laptops. Those days are long gone, however, and new threats that put Mac users at risk are appearing all the time. Fortunately, there are now plenty of good antivirus options for Mac users to combat the rising ...

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 ...

Panda launched their lightweight Cloud Antivirus app just under a year ago, and it's already received a number of significant updates and improvements. Today, they're announcing the release of Cloud Antivirus 1.3 -- and a few more cool feature additions. Probably the most significant addition is Cloud AV's ability to filter malicious URLs and websites -- regardless of which browser you're ...

Facebook's immense popularity has made it a prime target for cybercriminals. Malicious (or 'poisoned') links, spam, and malvertising are all too common -- and it's far too easy for an unsuspecting Facebook user to be taken in. Hey, if one of your friends sends you a link to what seems like a hilarious picture, there's a decent chance you'll click through, right? ... And that's how the bad guys ...

A new and exceedingly evil piece of malware that very cleverly imitates Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) has emerged. It goes by the designation Win32/FakePAV -- and if you haven't recently updated your virus and malware definitions, do it now. Screenshots on the Malware Protection Center website show this piece of malware to be depressingly good -- it really does imitate MSE very well. It ...

An Android device is a sensitive thing; it's hooked up to your Google account, and there are tons of apps out there. While Android does let you know what an app will be able to access ("SD Card" etc.), it has no built-in mechanism for telling the genuinely useful applications from the ones that are out to get you. Lookout Mobile Security is one possible solution. It's an anti-virus application ...

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 ...

I've mentioned before that Norton 2010 is a big improvement over Symantec's releases of the last few years -- and the results from AV-Test's Q2 testing certainly seem to bear that out. Norton Internet Security posted a total score of 16/18, a mark equaled only by Kaspersky. Norton bested Kaspersky in 0-day detection, catching all 59 samples while Kaspersky missed ten. Both apps posted similar ...

Holy acquisitions, Batman! While most of the IT guys I know aren't fans of McAfee -- especially after that teensy little definition screwup which resulted in thousands of unwanted desktop support hours -- Intel is obviously a fan. In a press release this morning, the IT behemoth has announced that they're swallowing up McAfee for the princely sum of $7.7 billion dollars. Whether guys like ...

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, ...

Download Squad was one of the first places you read about Immunet's cloud-powered antivirus software when it debuted last year. Since then, their team has been keeping us apprised of changes -- and there have been plenty. Immunet 2.0 is a big improvement over the original, adding multiple scanning engines, a social component, and a new Plus version that includes additional scanning and defense ...