14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has started serving its free security solution for genuine Windows automatically to customers via Windows Update.
Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 is being offered through WU to all supported versions of the Windows client, namely Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
However, the Redmond company is not automatically delivering MSE 1.0 to all its users.
The software giant revealed that customers must first subscribe Microsoft Windows Update in order to be offered Microsoft Security Essentials through WU.
And even then, the antivirus is only provided as an optional update, which means that it will not download and install automatically, but that users need to manually deploy it.
“Microsoft is offering Microsoft Security Essentials as an optional update to Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users who subscribe to Microsoft Windows Update,” the Redmond company stated.
In its first year on the market, Microsoft Security Essentials has been downloaded in excess of 30 million times by users around the world.
The security solution is available free of charge to users of genuine versions of Windows in no less than 74 markets worldwide, having been localized in a total of 25 languages.
“If you are not currently running anti-malware software on your computer then you may be vulnerable to spyware, viruses, and other malicious software.
“Microsoft Security Essentials is free anti-malware software and it is strongly recommended that you download and install it. Microsoft Security Essentials is licensed for use on home PCs and by small businesses with 10 or fewer PCs,” the software giant added.
Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 is currently in development with the software giant offering early adopters a Beta version of the product for testing.
No release deadline was provided for MSE 2.0, but rumors indicate that Microsoft might be gearing up for a launch by the end of 2010.
Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 is available for download here.