Microsoft has released version 2 of Microsoft Security Essentials, with some nice improvements and new features. It is visually almost unchanged; MSE continues to be almost invisible while it operates, providing all the protection that you need with a minimum of fuss. It continues to be my preferred solution for individuals and very small businesses – the only security program that you need to run on your computer if you also use common sense and follow the rules of safe computing.
The version 2 update can be downloaded and installed manually from the MSE web site, but you do not have to do anything. If you are using the program, it will be automatically updated soon. At most you will be asked to click okay on a license agreement – and probably restart your computer.
Microsoft has added a “heuristic scanning engine” that attempts to identify malware-like activity on the computer even if it’s caused by something that is not included in the traditional virus definitions. (It tells you something about our fast-moving world that this is necessary, since the virus definitions are updated every four hours.)
MSE v.2 integrates the controls for the Windows Firewall, although most people never need to tweak the firewall settings. The new version also inspects network traffic for signs of malware, although this enhanced protection only runs on Windows 7 and Vista computers – one more small way that Windows XP is being marginalized and allowed to become old and dusty.
If you’re not using Microsoft Security Essentials, you should be. Forget your investment in a subscription to another program that is slowing your computer down and causing way too many messages to pop up from the lower right corner of the screen. Install MSE and do your work without distractions.
Hi Bruce
I use it on my small customers as well less than 10 but wish they would change the run schedule.. You have only a choice to run quick scan or full .. I would like to run a full once a week and a quick daily, but I don’t see anyway to do this.
Also do you us the evenlogs to identify any virus alerts in your GFI remote program?
Also a side question if I may what do you use for your small customers for firewall etc? the isp box with nat or a real firewall ?
Thanks
Bob
Full scan weekly, quick daily – that does seem like a logical option, doesn’t it? I don’t think there’s a way to set it up. I guess it’s one of the tradeoffs for keeping it simple.
I haven’t set up GFI event log alerts for MSE because we’re literally just a few days away from v.8.6, which reportedly will directly support MSE. I haven’t tested it yet but I know it’s on the list of features in 8.6RC.
I’ve got several offices set up with SonicWall TZ100 firewall appliances (and use one myself). They loosened up their license recently so it can be used by an unlimited number of machines inside the network. (They used to sell licenses by the number of devices connected to it, which was infuriating.) I haven’t subscribed to any of the extra cost services. It’s been rock solid. It took a long time to figure out the control panels – not the first time I’ve been mystified by router controls. Figuring out how to forward a port is rocket science on all the enterprise routers, for some reason.