Microsoft Security Essentials and free security

Back in September 2009, Microsoft announced the availability of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), a new no-cost (free), core anti-malware service to helps protect consumers against viruses, spyware and other malicious software. Based on the same core security technology that is found in Microsoft's security solutions for businesses, MSE does not need registration, trials or renewals, and is available for direct download from Microsoft's website. As a free consumer download for genuine Windows-based PCs, MSE seeks to incentivize the use of genuine Windows operating systems by providing a more trustworthy computing experience.

Microsoft may hope that MSE's easy accessibility would encourage a much broader adoption of its free anti-virus protection across the consumer audience, which in turn would help enhance security across the “entire Windows ecosystem”. For business customers Microsoft continues to offer Forefront Client Security with centralized, comprehensive management and reporting capabilities.

Designed to run quietly in the background, MSE alerts users only when their action is needed. It limits CPU and memory usage, resulting in less impact on consumer's daily tasks such as opening documents, browser windows,  or loading search results, even on older or less powerful PCs. MSE uses real-time protection to help prevent PCs from becoming infected and is the first Microsoft security product to make use of the company’s new Dynamic Signature Service, a technology that helps ensure users stay protected by the most current virus definitions available without having to wait for the next scheduled download.

In June 2009, Microsoft had officially announced a limited beta version of MSE, which was previously revealed by its code name, Morro, back in November 2008. It sought to be a natural replacement to the Windows Live OneCare, a pay-for solution which the company chose to abandon. In a statement dating back to September, Microsoft's general manager for consumer security Amy Barzdukas had said, “Consumers have told us that they want the protection of real-time security software but we know that too many are either unwilling or unable to pay for it, and so end up unprotected. With Microsoft Security Essentials, consumers can get high-quality protection that is easy to get and easy to use — and it won’t get in their way.”  

A 'first look' review by arstechnica.com at the end of September commended Microsoft's efforts with MSE, terming it as 'impressive'. A simple and clean graphic user interface (GUI) and a virtually invisible updating system seemed to have been well thought out. Microsoft Update addressed the signature updates on a daily basis, while the core antimalware engine is scheduled for monthly updates which include new features  and bug fixes.

Competition, however, is unfazed by Microsoft's MSE. Some established players view MSE as little more than a stripped-down version of  the old OneCare that leveraged signature-based technology, which in their view is somewhat inadequate by itself against an ever evolving threat landscape. Other players argue that 'while some' protection was better than none at all, MSE would certainly ensure increased competition in the free ware space while leaving full-featured security solutions untouched. MSE is presently available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 in eight languages across 19 countries.

A report by arstechnica.com dating back to September 2009 quoted Vince Steckler, CEO of  Avast, as saying that while Microsoft's endeavors were certainly welcome, the widespread popularity of Avast anti virus protecting around 250 million home computers was testament to the fact that top notch security protection needs to be freely available, but free users need not be subjected to inferior or 'basic' protection. The same report quoted Siobhan MacDermott, VP Head of Public Policy, Corporate Communications, and Investor Relations for AVG Technologies as pointing out that the real problem with Windows was not the vulnerability of its code but its huge popularity, which, by the law of numbers created large communities with large pools of opportunities for thieves. Consequently, MacDermott said, as Microsoft would leverage its “OS market to rapidly create a large community of MSE users, we believe those customers will be doubly vulnerable."