Ouch: Microsoft no longer recommends their own Security Essentials anti-virus package

Microsoft, which for years has touted its Security Essentials anti-virus package, has now said users should use third-party applications on top of MSE, as it will never be the best option.

In an interview, the company admits it has turned its AV app into a "baseline program," and that the app will "always be on the bottom" of the AV software rankings, where it has languished in the last two years after a few years on top.

Microsoft also adds that "the company is just sharing its virus tracking findings with the security industry so they can develop better antivirus programs."

MSE (or Windows Defender in Windows 8) has always been an extremely light-weight app, and it was popular for not being annoying like more commercial programs like McAfee and Norton.

A few great free options if you want to move away from MSE are Avira, Avast and AVG.

Check the rest here: Antivirus programs at Afterdawn

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 6 Oct 2013 12:34

lamain

I have tried all the competition and I really liked AVG many years ago. Now I feel like they just got to big and annoying. I am not sure what I will recommend for customers that are virus prone but for me I will stick to MSE.

6.10.2013 12:42 #1

bobiroc

I wish Microsoft would put more effort into MSE again but for me MSE and MalwareBytesPro seems to work. I may be looking into another free AntiVirus software though.

AMD Phenom II 965 @ 3.67Ghz, 8GB DDR3, ATI Radeon 5770HD, 256GB OCZ Vertex 4, 2TB Additional HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate.

http://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices

6.10.2013 12:49 #2

lwment

I use MSE along with OpenDNS, Firefox with Noscript and the most important tool of all... Common sense. Been working for years.

6.10.2013 12:50 #3

bw5011

I have used MSE for years and will continue to use it. Im sure somebody wants to sue Microsoft since it is included with their OS so they come out and say to cover their butt. The only other program out there that is remotely as good without all the extra stuff is MalwareBytes but until I see MSE is not working im not installing it either.

6.10.2013 13:48 #4

mangurian

can we get a source for the MS quote ?

6.10.2013 16:11 #5

zxe

Hum, i use Comodo AV and never had any issue with virus and mail ware getting on

7.10.2013 05:40 #6

DVDBack23

Originally posted by mangurian: can we get a source for the MS quote ? http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/38...ivirus-rankings

AfterDawn News
AfterDawn Guides
AfterDawn Downloads
AfterDawn Hardware Section

7.10.2013 08:16 #7

bobiroc

Originally posted by DVDBack23: Originally posted by mangurian: can we get a source for the MS quote ? http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/38...ivirus-rankings I suspect there is some level of Microsoft Appeasing it's competitors in this to avoid anti-competitive practice lawsuits. I know AV companies were real upset and tried to stop the release of Security Essentials.

Also how does this compare to Microsoft's enterprise version of Forefront Endpoint Protection which I believe still gets pretty good ratings.

I find if you set up MSE and set the default actions to remove instead of recommend you are better protected as it does a decent job of protection but not so well in cleaning an already infected computer. Seeing as some other FREE Antivirus clients are pretty annoying with their ads and messages to upgrade I find that MSE set to auto-remove and installing MalwareBytes PRO for a one time fee of about $30 is a pretty good way to go.

AMD Phenom II 965 @ 3.67Ghz, 8GB DDR3, ATI Radeon 5770HD, 256GB OCZ Vertex 4, 2TB Additional HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate.

http://www.facebook.com/BlueLightningTechnicalServices

7.10.2013 08:29 #8

mukhis

Originally posted by bobiroc: I suspect there is some level of Microsoft Appeasing it's competitors in this to avoid anti-competitive practice lawsuits. I know AV companies were real upset and tried to stop the release of Security Essentials.
...Seeing as some other FREE Antivirus clients are pretty annoying with their ads and messages to upgrade I find that MSE set to auto-remove and installing MalwareBytes PRO for a one time fee of about $30 is a pretty good way to go. +unlimited
i use MSE and malwarebytes free, and of course, as lwment said, common sense. pretty good.

7.10.2013 11:53 #9

skeil909

Malwarebytes Pro, and currently testing Panda Cloud AV free (so far so good.)

I also scan systems with SUPERAntiSpyware and MWB Anti-Rootkit on a regular basis.

7.10.2013 13:52 #10

Bozobub

Originally posted by zxe: Hum, i use Comodo AV and never had any issue with virus and mail ware getting on I use Comodo products, but NOT their AV; while not exactly crap, unlike Norton, please be aware that their detection rates are solidly "middle of the road" when compared to competitors, according to several different sources. It's easy to google, if you care to.

Personally, Comodo's "Defense+" heuristic intrusion protection system ("HIPS") and their excellent firewall is often more effective than any standard AV for protecting from new threats in the wild. That + some common sense = less RAM and CPU footprint, for almost the same, if not better effect.

Edit --> NOD32, from my experience, while not having a "HIPS" module named as such, is (in my experience) comparable to Comodo's "Defense+" in catching general misbehavior by processes, known or not. But of course, NOD32 also isn't free, unlike Comodo ^^' ...

7.10.2013 17:50 #11

DK1979

Anitivirus is one thing im not a grinch on so i buy a new nod32 key each year and wouldnt go anywhere near ms free antivirus. Fixed several pcs in my days with that crap cause it didnt do a good job.

8.10.2013 04:58 #12

KillerBug

I used to use nod32, but then one of my customers who was using it got a really nasty virus that nod32 missed. MalWareBytes found it easily and removed it. When I went to the nod32 website I found that I was not the only one, and the recommended fix (from nod32 staff) was to use MalWareBytes.

As for MSE, it is crap and it always has been. Sure, it works great if you use "common sense" and get lucky, but that's like saying that green tea protects you from HIV if you just use common sense and get lucky. Me, I want the double-thick name-brand condom of AV software...and that's MalWareBytes.

It makes me sick to think of all the people who have gotten viruses for lack of AV software after microsoft lied to them to convince them to use their crapware, when they were all ready to buy quality protection.

8.10.2013 09:46 #13

mangurian

No luck involved, just common sense.

Mangurian

8.10.2013 18:06 #14

Bozobub

Originally posted by KillerBug: I used to use nod32, but then one of my customers who was using it got a really nasty virus that nod32 missed. MalWareBytes found it easily and removed it. When I went to the nod32 website I found that I was not the only one, and the recommended fix (from nod32 staff) was to use MalWareBytes.

As for MSE, it is crap and it always has been. Sure, it works great if you use "common sense" and get lucky, but that's like saying that green tea protects you from HIV if you just use common sense and get lucky. Me, I want the double-thick name-brand condom of AV software...and that's MalWareBytes.

It makes me sick to think of all the people who have gotten viruses for lack of AV software after microsoft lied to them to convince them to use their crapware, when they were all ready to buy quality protection. I certainly believe this but remember two things. First, NO security measure, of itself, can ever be perfect. Each AV will catch some nasties another did not, that's just how it is. Second, I was ONLY speaking of NOD32's heuristics capabilities (for example, noticing a banner was trying to infect me with unknown malware, a few times), not its direct AV. It seems the same, but isn't (one depends on definitions, one on rules about process behavior).

What I'm getting at is, that while AV programs can catch already well-known threats, many have *zero* capability to stop truly unknown threats. Conversely, however, heuristics algorithms have a chance to catch any threat, old or new.

8.10.2013 22:45 #15

hearme0

My personal fav. Been using for years. It isolated more threats on the BIT LEVEL AS THEY CAME IN than any other AV solution I have used. Won't touch McAfee or Norton with a 10 foot pole. Garbage they are........PERIOD!!!

9.10.2013 16:20 #16

kutulu1

Been using MSE without any problems. Can't stand those other system hog programs; all flash and glitter.

11.10.2013 22:45 #17

KillerBug

Norton, AVG, and McAfee may be a system hogs, but MalWareBytes is almost transparent even on the highest settings. NOD32 isn't too bad either.

Personally I use a virtual system to run stuff I don't trust...but everything on there gets scanned with MalWareBytes as well. While many things have been captured while downloading, immediately after downloading, while extracting, and even while installing or running (from an encrypted installer or application), manual scans never find anything that happened to slip through due to old databases...probably because they actually keep on top of their databases. It is theoretically possible that a 0-day might get through, but talking about 0-day security from new viruses using new attack methods in the same discussion as MSE is downright insane. Microsoft has frequently announced holes in their security that they have known about for weeks and still haven't done anything about...and now thanks to the announcement every malware author on earth knows too!

12.10.2013 23:16 #18

leemoo

If MS is not recommending its own MSE then why anyone would want to stick with it is quite surprising when there are better free alternatives out there....and that are recommended.

29.10.2013 06:33 #19

AfterDawn: News