14 DAY TRIAL // As promised on Monday, Redmond-based software giant Microsoft released today the final version of its Microsoft Security Essentials solution for Windows. The new software comes as a free security solution meant to offer users protection from viruses, spyware and other malicious software. Also known as Morro, the software solution has been in beta testing for the past few months, and now the final version has been unleashed for download to end-users.
Microsoft's Security Essentials can be used on a variety of Windows versions, including Windows XP (both SP2 and SP3), Windows Vista and Windows 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors). As Microsoft announced on Monday, users can enjoy its security solution in eight different languages, in a series of 19 countries.
According to the software giant, the Microsoft Security Essentials has been designed to run on Windows computers in the background, with a minimum impact on the computer's performance. Users can rest assured that opening documents or browser windows or loading search results will run smoothly even on older PCs that have less CPU power and memory.
“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,” the company states.
As many of you might already know, MSE comes to display as a superset of Windows Defender, and is meant to replace Windows Live OneCare. It is expected to prove a great option for those who are unable to purchase a paid security solution, as well as for those who might not want to do so. At the same time, the company also stresses the fact that this solution has been developed only for end-users, and that business users have the Forefront Client Security available for them.
The Microsoft Security Essentials can be easily installed on a Windows-based computer and can be downloaded for free via this link. A series of screenshots with the software in action can be found here.