I think so – especially for home and small business users. What is it? MSE or Microsoft Security Essentials is MSFT’s free antivirus software (previously, this was Windows Forefront) for home users. It’s not enterprise class since it has no consolidated reporting or node management software, but is great for homes and small businesses. It’s free – did I mention that?
I’ve put this on a Windows 7 laptop and have only had a couple of days to evaluate it, but so far it is very nice. Low on resources, unobtrusive, and thorough. Oh, and it passed the August VB tests. I don’t subscribe to the VB reports, but you can register for free here and see the VB100 results. This is a list of Anti-Virus vendors that pass a series of tests designed by Virus Bulletin to see how well the protect your computer. The VB100 logo is a certification that the software does what it is supposed to do.
I’m a big fan of anything that adds hassle free virus protection for people, and I hope this is packaged with Windows soon. I know that will create all kinds of licensing issues with the AV vendors who have third party deals with resellers to package their software with Windows, but I think people need AV protection and it should be free. Especially from Microsoft, since IE and Windows are such huge sources/targets for the virus writers, Microsoft has an obligation to provide free and comprehensive virus protection, and I’m very pleased that they are stepping up to the plate.
