| Developer | Microsoft |
| License | Free |
| Download | Free Download |
Microsoft developed as well as supported a basic antivirus software called Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). This is one of the antivirus products that fall within the free category and often times we wonder if something that comes free offers noteworthy assistance. If you are wondering if it’s enough to simply rely on MSE as your antivirus software for your cherished and precious computer, then read on to learn what MSE actually protects your PC against.
What protection does Microsoft Security Essentials entail?
MSE comes with real-time protection that can protect your PC against viruses, spyware as well as rootkits. It is also capable of doing online system scanning and cleaning. Not only that, but you can also perform offline system scanning and cleaning so it won’t be such a bummer for users who don’t always have an internet connection at the ready. Bottom line, Microsoft provides a fairly simple security package that is only meant for searching for viruses. This does not have to be such a bad thing because less protection translates to faster speed. Microsoft Security Essentials is a really straightforward protection and that’s why it’s lightweight and fast to do its job!
Integrated Security
Sometimes we expect a developer of some software to offer the best in class solution for their very own system. As for Microsoft, since they offer antivirus then fundamentally it should mean that the software (MSE) should be compatible with Windows updates and Microsoft Office at all times. Thankfully, Microsoft also comes with a solution called ‘set and forget’ that is specifically reserved for customers who are looking for free antivirus for business and home.
Potential Concerns
Here are two things that you naturally should worry about when it comes to MSE. Since this antivirus is provided by none other than Microsoft itself, which is a very popular platform, they always expect that this software is always on any hacker’s list of things to breach / that can pass through when they are creating viruses. Doesn’t matter if you are either a light browser or even a tech-savvy, you ought to know that scammers are now even becoming bolder as to make fake copies of the MSE software that are viruses themselves. These scammers’ end game is to trick people into paying real money to resolve problems that do not even exist in the first place!
Additionally, it should be noted that Microsoft only comes with a basic layer of protection which means you will not get protection from spam, phishing emails, malware, online banking security, and enhanced firewall. In the end, it all always comes back to that old saying ‘you always get what you pay for’.
Conclusion
Bottom line, Microsoft basically developed the Microsoft Security Essentials to make antivirus software easily accessible to all Windows users. It’s capable of updating its virus definitions automatically, offers both on-demand and real-time malware detection and it also scores high marks consistently when it comes to spotting malware threats. However, note that MSE does not come with integrated browsing protection and although it’s intended to perform in conjunction with your web browser’s built-in protection to protect against Internet-based malware, it still isn’t as strong as the other paid versions of antivirus such as AVG, for instance.
Note: For a PC running Windows 8 & 10, you can download Windows Defender, which basically has the same function as Microsoft Security Essentials.