MICROSOFT HAS re-entered the security software market, releasing a Beta (testing) version of its new free Security Essentials tool. The company scrapped its previous anti-virus program, the paid-for Microsoft Onecare, last year. Microsoft said it wasn't looking to compete with other security vendors but wants to persuade more people to install antivirus programs. The software is basic but light on system resources although users will need a separate Firewall such as the one built into Windows. It will only work on PCs running genuine verified copies of Windows. Julia Owen of Microsoft said: "After working with the Government online safety initiative Get Safe Online, we felt too many people were not using or updating their security software regularly, which is why we have released Security Essentials." Security Essentials has been welcomed by other security firms, including AVG, which also offers free security software. However, the Czech company has hit back with a new version of its paid-for security suite, AVG 9. Symantec has also released a new security suite, with its Norton 2010 products using some interesting techniques. Its Quorum technology provides information on all executable files, such as the file's prevalence, age and other attributes. This builds a profile of a file and the user can then decide if they want to download it: files with a poor reputation are automatically blocked.
Source of Information : Computer Active Issue 304 October 28 2009
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