Free anti-virus software to Windows PCs
Microsoft makes software freely available to Windows PCs
Microsoft Security Essentials will be available tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Microsoft Security Essentials, independently certified by West Coast Labs, is backed by the company’s global security response team and is built on the same core security technology found in the company’s security solutions for businesses. It requires no registration, trials or renewals and will be available for download directly from Microsoft.
“Consumers have told us that they want the protection of real-time security software but we know that too many are either unwilling or unable to pay for it, and so end up unprotected,” said Amy Barzdukas, general manager for consumer security at Microsoft. “With Microsoft Security Essentials, consumers can get high-quality protection that is easy to get and easy to use — and it won’t get in their way.”
Making Microsoft Security Essentials broadly available as a free consumer download for genuine Windows-based PCs is part of Microsoft’s commitment to providing a trustworthy computing experience for all customers.
By making Microsoft Security Essentials easy to get and easy to use, Microsoft hopes to encourage broader adoption of anti-virus protection across the consumer audience, which in turn will help increase security across the entire Windows ecosystem. For business customers, Microsoft continues to offer Forefront Client Security, providing centralized, comprehensive management and reporting capabilities.
“Microsoft is focused on the challenges that prevent consumers from running up-to-date anti-virus software today, particularly in emerging markets where there is a growing prevalence of malware,” said Jon Crotty, security analyst at IDC. “With Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft is helping to reduce some of the barriers that constrain consumers from running AV.”
Microsoft Security Essentials will be available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 including Windows XP mode on both x32 and x64 PCs.
