No freakin’ way! Microsoft is offering a FREE download service for its latest security software? YES, you read that right. Early this week, we should be able to download the beta version of the latest to come out of the Microsoft development labs.
Dubbed the Microsoft Security Essentials package, the software is being touted by Microsoft as the complete computer security system. It is an anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-everything bad program all in one. The way it is supposed to work, it should detect, find, and then get rid of anything suspicious on your computer.
Backers of the product say that even the newest threats can be dealt with easily and quickly by Microsoft Security Essentials. It does so by immediately checking with online servers if it finds something that is even remotely suspicious, even if it does not fall under any known threat. Before the program is allowed to continue, it has to be cleared first. What about certain legit programs that might trigger the system? Designers say that it has a list of trusted sources, and will overlook activity by these.
Microsoft Security Essentials will be available for FREE download but will not be bundled with Windows 7, as this might start another spate of anti-trust issues. While we will only have the beta this week, the full version should be out by fall. At least we will have a couple of months to test the beta version and see if it actually works and if it’s better than what we are using now.