Remember how Symantec was the first Antivirus company to the podium to declare Microsoft’s Free Security Essentials antivirus/antimalware product “insufficient”, declaring 3rd party testing wrong, even going so far as to fabricate their own head-to-head test to try to prove their point? (In case you forgot, here’s a few samples of their previous rants here, here, here, and here.)
Well, it turns out that AV-Comparatives – one of a couple generally recognized authorities on independent malware testing ran yet ANOTHER test on Microsoft’s free “Security Essentials” package in comparison to even Symantec’s newest antivirus solution – several months after MSE’s initial release. The results?
“Believe it or not, but the recently introduced, free security solution from Microsoft manages to hold its own against fully-fledged, paid security suites from heavyweight players on the security market, at least when it comes down to generic detection and heuristic techniques. In fact, Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0, formerly codenamed Morro, fared better than the products from security companies that were fast to downplay the relevance of a free basic solution from the Redmond company. According to AV-Comparatives, Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 outperformed no less than 10 rival products for heuristics detection.
AV-Comparatives compared a total of 16 products from various security companies, including AVIRA AntiVir Premium 9.0.0.446, G DATA Antivirus 20.0.4.9, Kaspersky AntiVirus 9.0.0.463, ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.0.437.0, F-Secure Antivirus 10.00.246, Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 beta, Avast Professional Edition 4.8.1348, BitDefender Antivirus 13.0.13.254, eScan AntiVirus 10.0.997.491, AVG Antivirus 8.5.406, Trustport Antivirus 2.8.0.3017, McAfee VirusScan Plus 13.11.102, Symantec Norton Antivirus 17.0.0.136, Sophos Antivirus 7.6.10, Norman Antivirus & AntiSpyware 7.10.02, and Kingsoft Antivirus 2009.08.05.16.”
Read more at:
- SOFTPEDIA: “Microsoft Security Essentials vs. Kaspersky, Nod32, BitDefender, Symantec, McAfee”
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Security-Essentials-vs-Kaspersky-Nod32-BitDefender-Symantec-McAfee-128482.shtml
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Y’know, when even Slashdot agrees that Microsoft Security Essentials is a good product, you know it’s antivirus engine should be considered by people looking for protection. Note that Forefront Client Security, Microsoft’s enterprise solution, leverages this same anti-malware engine.
- IT: AV-Test Deems Windows Security Essentials "Very Good"
http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/06/24/216231/
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