Microsoft Security Essentials
Developer(s) | Microsoft |
---|---|
Initial release | 29 September 2009 |
Final release | |
x64 | |
Size | |
Available in | 33 languages[4] |
List of languages English, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Latin), Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese | |
Type | Antivirus software |
License | Freeware[5] |
Website | support |
Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is a discontinued
Built upon the same scanning engine and virus definitions as other Microsoft antivirus products, it provides real-time protection, constantly monitoring activities on the computer, scanning new files as they are created or downloaded, and disabling detected threats. It lacks the OneCare
Microsoft's announcement of its own AV software on 18 November 2008, was met with mixed reactions from the AV industry.
The product received generally positive reviews, praising its
Features
Microsoft Security Essentials automatically checked and downloaded the latest virus definitions from Microsoft Update which was updated three times a day.[6] Users may alternatively download the updates manually from the Microsoft Security Portal website.[7] On 30 September 2011, a faulty definition update caused the product to incorrectly tag Google Chrome as malware. The issue was resolved within three hours.[8][9] MSE originally ran on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7,[3] although versions 4.5 and later do not run on Windows XP[10] and Microsoft stopped producing automatic definition updates for Windows XP on 14 July 2015 (however, manual definition updates are still available for Windows XP users who run older versions of MSE).[11][7]
MSE was built upon the same foundation as other Microsoft security products; they all use the same anti-malware engine known as Microsoft Malware Protection Engine (MSMPENG) and
MSE provided
Hardware requirements for the product depended on the
Development
On 18 November 2008, Microsoft announced plans for a free consumer security product, codenamed Morro.[18] This development marked a change in Microsoft's consumer AV marketing strategy: instead of offering a subscription-based security product with a host of other tools, such as backup and a personal firewall, Morro would offer free AV protection with a smaller impact on system resources.[19] Amy Barzdukas, senior director of product management for the Online Services and Windows Division at Microsoft, announced that Morro would not directly compete with other commercial AV software; rather it was focused on the 50 to 60 percent of PC users who did not have or would not pay for AV protection.[20] By 17 June 2009, the official name of Morro was revealed: Microsoft Security Essentials.[21]
On 23 June 2009, Microsoft released a
Version 2.0
Almost a year after the initial release, Microsoft quietly released the second
Version 4.0
Sixteen months after the release of version 2.0, Microsoft skipped version 3.0 and released Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0. A public beta program started on 18 November 2011, when Microsoft sent out invitations to potential participants without announcing a version number.[28][29] The first beta version was released on 29 November 2011,[30][31] and the final build on 24 April 2012.[16] Microsoft subsequently initiated a pre-release program that provides volunteers with the latest beta version and accepts feedback.[32]
Version 4.5
On 21 February 2014, version 4.5 entered beta stage.[33] On the same day, Microsoft announced that starting with this version, Windows XP would not be supported.[10] Older versions would continue to receive automatic virus definition updates until 14 July 2015 (afterwards the users of older versions may continue to manually update definitions using Microsoft's site).[11][7]
Version 4.10
The latest version of 4.10 was released on 29 November 2016. It was version 4.10.209.0 for Windows Vista and Windows 7. This update fixes a bug that was introduced earlier in version 4.10.205.0 which removed the "Scan with Microsoft Security Essentials" entry from the right-click context menu on files and folders.
Discontinuation
Support for MSE officially ended for Windows Vista[34] and Windows XP.[35] Older versions still function on those systems; however, the latest definition updates are no longer compatible. Although support for Windows 7[36] ended on 14 January 2020 Microsoft will continue to update virus definitions for existing users until 2023.[37]
Microsoft Security Essentials does not run on Windows 8 and later, which has its own security subsystem, Windows Defender. On 13 September 2011, at the
Licensing
The product's
MSE requires no registration or personal information to be submitted during installation;[43] however, the validity of the operating system's license was verified during and after installation using the Windows Genuine Advantage system. If said license was found to be invalid, the software will notify the user and will cease to operate after a period of time.[5]
Reception
Industry response
The announcement and debut of Microsoft Security Essentials was met with mixed responses from the AV industry.
The announcement of Microsoft Security Essentials affected the stocks of AV vendors. On 19 November 2008, after Microsoft announced codename Morro, Symantec and McAfee shares fell 9.44 and 6.62 percent respectively.[20] On 10 June 2009, after announcing an upcoming beta version, Microsoft shares rose 2.1 percent, while Symantec and McAfee fell 0.5 and 1.3 percent respectively. Daniel Ives, an analyst with FBR Capital Markets, said that Microsoft Security Essentials would be a "long-term competitive threat", although near-term impact would be negligible.[52]
Reviews and awards
This section needs to be updated.(March 2024) |
The public beta version received several reviews, citing its low resource usage, straightforward user interface and price point.[53][54] Brian Krebs of The Washington Post reported that a quick scan on a Windows 7 computer took about 10 minutes and a full scan about 45 minutes.[15] Ars Technica reviewed it positively, citing its organized interface, low resource usage, and its status as freeware.[55]
Nick Mediati of
Neil Rubenking of
On 7 January 2010, Microsoft Security Essentials won the Best Free Software award from
In October 2009,
In AV-TEST's 2011 annual review, Microsoft Security Essentials came last in protection, seventh in repair and fifth in usability.[66] In the 2012 review, it came last in protection and best in usability; however, having lost its certificate, it was not qualified for the usability award.[67] In June 2013, MSE achieved the lowest possible protection score, zero.[68]
This section needs to be updated.(March 2024) |
On 29 September 2010, a year after its initial release, Microsoft announced that MSE had more than 30 million users.[69] The Security Industry Market Share Analysis report of June 2011, published by OPSWAT, describes it as one of the most popular AV products in the world,[70] with 10.66 percent of the global market[70]: 5 and 15.68 percent of the North American market.[70]: 4 The same report shows Microsoft as the number one AV vendor in North America with 17.07 percent market share,[70]: 3 and the number four AV vendor worldwide.[70]: 2
John Dunn of PCWorld, who analyzed the report, noted that the tendency to use free AV software was something new: "After all, free antivirus suites have been around for years but have tended to be seen as the poor relations to paid software." He named Microsoft Security Essentials as an influence on PC users to adopt free AV software.[71]
A September 2011 OPSWAT report found that MSE had further increased its market share to become the second most popular AV product in the world, and remained the most popular in North America.[72] OPSWAT reported in March 2012 that the product had maintained its position, and that Microsoft's market share had improved by 2 percent worldwide and 3 percent in North America.[73] Seth Rosenblatt of CNET News commented on how the product's share rose from 7.27 in 2010 to 10.08 in 2012, stating that "use of the lightweight security suite exploded last year".[74]
Impersonation by malware
This section needs to be updated.(March 2024) |
The popularity of Microsoft Security Essentials has led to the appearance of malware abusing its name. In February 2010, a rogue security package calling itself "Security Essentials 2010" appeared on the internet, carrying the Alureon virus. Designated TrojanDownloader:Win32/Fakeinit by Microsoft, it bears no visual resemblance to the Microsoft product.[75][76] It reappeared in November 2010, this time calling itself "Security Essentials 2011".[77] A more dangerous rogue software appeared in August 2010. Designated Rogue:Win32/FakePAV or Unknown Win32/Trojan, it closely resembles Microsoft Security Essentials and uses sophisticated social engineering to deceive users and infect their systems, under the guise of five different fictional anti-malware products.[78][79][80]
See also
- Comparison of antivirus software
- Comparison of firewalls
- Internet security
- Microsoft Defender
- Windows Security Center
References
Notes
- ^ According to AV-TEST: "Jeder Unterpunkt der Hauptkategorien wird über den Testzeitraum monatlich bewertet. Die erreichte Leistung wird prozentual vom Industrie-Durchschnitt eingestuft. [...] Für den Privatanwenderbereich muss ein Produkt mindestens 10 der erreichbaren 18 Punkte erhalten sowie mindestens 1 Punkt in jeder Kategorie, um sich ein "AV-TEST CERTIFIED" zu verdienen." Translation: The performance level achieved is considered as a percentage of the industry average score. [...] Home-user products must achieve at least 10 of the 18 points available and at least 1 point in each category in order to earn an "AV-TEST CERTIFIED" seal of approval.[81]
Citations
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External links