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Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 Beta Released

Robert — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:22:25 +0000

Earlier, I made a post in which I described the upcoming Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) and explained what all of the hype was about. Now, the Redmond company has released the 1.0 Beta, and anyone can download MSE directly from Microsoft. On Microsoft’s page for MSE, a link to Microsoft Connect is provided from which users can fill out a quick survey (seven questions) about security, and upon completion, users can download the Beta for Windows 7 (x86 and x64), Windows Vista (x86 and x64), or Windows XP (x86 only).

Microsoft provides a quick explanation on their official page:

You’re too busy to spend a lot of time worrying about protecting your PC. With Microsoft Security Essentials Beta, you get high-quality protection against viruses and spyware, including Trojans, worms and other malicious software. And best of all, there are no costs or annoying subscriptions to keep track of.
Security Essentials is easy to install and easy to use. Updates and upgrades are automatic, so there’s no need to worry about having the latest protection. It’s easy to tell if you’re protected – when the Security Essentials icon is green, your status is good. It’s as simple as that.
When you’re busy using your PC, you don’t want to be bothered by needless alerts. Security Essentials runs quietly in the background, only alerting you if there’s something you need to do. And it doesn’t use a lot of system resources, so it won’t get in the way of your work or fun.

Remember that you will need to meet the minimum requirements:

For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU with clock speed of at least 500MHz and at least 256MB of RAM
For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU with clock speed of at least 1.0GHz and at least 1GB of RAM
VGA (display): 800×600 or higher
Storage: 140MB of available hard-disk space
An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions.
Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or higher.

A second build will be released to the public later this summer, which will be either a Beta Refresh or a Release Candidate, and then the final build in the fall (either before or around the release of Windows 7). However, interestingly enough, the Beta build (1.0.1407.00) is lower than that of the leaked build (1.0.2140.0), so users of the leak could be advised to keep their current version and those who do not have MSE already may wish to obtain the leaked copy.

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Microsoft Security Essentials (Morro) Leaks

Martin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:53:36 +0000

It seems that the frequent leaks that make their way to the Internet are not limited anymore to various Windows 7 builds (read about the Windows 7 build 7260 leak here) but also to other Microsoft software products in the making. Latest leak is Microsoft’s new antivirus solution Morro which was announced only recently. Morro has been renamed to Microsoft Security Essentials recently and could become an integral part of the Windows 7 security.

Windows 7 lacks an antivirus software program and Microsoft Security Essentials is the product that aims to fill the gap. Microsoft Security Essentials has now been leaked to the Internet. Leaks are available for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. As Lee over at the Download Squad put it: Now it is possible to protect the leaked installations of Windows 7 with the leaked antivirus solution Microsoft Security Essentials. Oh, the irony.

Users who think about installing the security software should make sure they understand the implications. Microsoft Security Essentials is a product that has not been released yet which means that Microsoft will not be responsible for any problems that might occur.

Microsoft To Release Free Anti-Virus Software Morro Soon

Martin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:24:06 +0000

Microsoft is about to release a first public beta version of their new free anti-virus software program Morro which is supposed to fill the gap left by the Microsoft One Care demise. Morro seems to be concentrating on being an anti-virus software program without additional modules that allow a user to create backups or use a firewall for extra protection. Those extra modules are on the other hand already available in the Windows 7 operating system which makes Morro the ideal candidate to fill the one layer of protection that is not already shipping with Windows 7: Anti-virus protection.

Microsoft has said it will provide protection from several types of malicious software including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.

It is not yet clear how Morro will run along with Windows Defender. It basically seems that Morro will be Windows Defender with added capabilities to detect and remove viruses, rootkits and trojans as well as spyware. The anti-virus software is expected to enter public beta stage in the coming months with no exact date given yet.

Which leads to the closing question: Which (if any) anti-virus software programs are you using on Windows 7?

via ZDnet and Paul Thurrott.