Friday, November 20, 2009

Essential Security Tool

In case you haven't heard, Microsoft is now offering a FREE virus and spyware blocker called Microsoft Security Essentials.

This is what Gina Trapani wrote about it on her blog Smarterware:

MSE is a decent utility: it’s a light download which offers real-time (as you save files) protection, and can do a quick, advanced, or custom scan. The interface is simple and it schedules regular scans by default.

I admit: since my desktop is behind my router’s firewall and I’m super-careful about what I do on it, I haven’t run AV or spyware blocking utilities on my PC in years–without a single problem. Happily MSE gave it a clean bill of health. It didn’t try to upsell me for a paid subscription, and it didn’t report that it quarantined harmless browser cookies (a common red herring that malware cleaners use to make you think they’re saving you). While security experts who make their living selling you this kind of software will tell you not to depend entirely on it, I’ll replace AVG Free on Grandpa’s computer with this this weekend. Kudos to Microsoft for finally offering malware protection at the right price.




Visit the Microsoft Security Essentials website to read more.

* Editor's Note: You might be interested to know, if you'd rather not have to bother with all this security nonsense a smarter way of beating the virus problem is to get a Mac.

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