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How Microsoft Security Essentials will change the security landscape

Sep 30, 2009 19:33

Microsoft recently announced its new no-cost, anti-malware service that will help protect consumers against viruses, spyware and other malicious software. It's called Microsoft Security Essentials. This will be available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7, including Windows XP mode on both x86 and x64 PCs.

In a press statement, Microsoft said:

Microsoft Security Essentials is designed to run quietly in the background alerting users only when there is an action for them to take. It also limits CPU and memory usage, resulting in less impact on the tasks consumers perform every day such as opening documents or browser windows or loading search results, even on older or less powerful PCs. Microsoft Security Essentials uses real-time protection to help prevent PCs from becoming infected, and it 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.

Microsoft Security Essentials will be available for free for genuine Windows users.

First of all, most users will welcome this development because it's free. Initially, people will view Microsoft Security Essentials competing with AVG, which is also available for download, free of charge.

Do you think other security vendors such as Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro would be threatened by this new offering from Microsoft? Not at this time. I can almost hear them saying that free protection is different from paid protection.

The success of Microsoft Security Essentials will depend on how effective it will be in terms of protecting users from security threats. If this new product can really secure user PCs, then it will change the security playing field.



If proven effective, Microsoft Security Essentials will force other security vendors to follow suit, or perhaps bring down the cost of their products. If Microsoft Security Essentials fails, then other security vendors will have more reasons to justify why we need to pay for applications to protect our PCs.

So which side should I be on? Of course I want Microsoft Security Essentials to be successful, so more users will benefit and be protected, at no cost.

I just have one concern. I sincerely hope Microsoft will make this Microsoft Security Essentials free of charge forever. Microsoft has this habit of charging for successful or sought-after applications. I hope I am wrong.

God bless us all!

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