Microsoft this week released the Microsoft Security Essentials , an antivirus software available at no additional cost for users of Microsoft Windows XP , Windows Vista and Windows 7 . Microsoft Security Essentials helps protect your system against threats such as viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans, without paying additional licenses or subscriptions.
Microsoft Security Essentials uses the same engine in Microsoft Forefront , recognized as one of the best the market , and incorporates features such as real-time protection, rootkit protection (using the technology acquired from Komoku ), and dynamic subscription service that monitors suspicious behavior ee can identify new threats in almost real time.
The Security Essentials also designed to be easy to use. You can download it directly from Microsoft without a lengthy registration or purchase subscription. The interface is in Portuguese, and once installed the product updates automatically from Windows Update without requiring user intervention. The interface is simple and the user is only "disturbed" if a threat is identified.
Many antivirus virtually destroy PC performance by consuming a large amount of memory and CPU cycles. Unlike these, the Security Essentials is designed to run on PCs smaller without affecting the user experience. It limits its own CPU consumption to ensure fast system response, and takes the signatures of the unused memory by reducing CPU consumption. The checks and updates are performed in the idle time of your computer so they do not affect the performance of your PC when you need it most.
The Security Essentials complements network protection already offered by Windows Firewall, and along with Automatic Updates (Automatic Updates) provide for free to Windows users the three basic steps to protect every user must follow to have a running antivirus, a firewall enabled and the system updated.
The minimum requirements to use the Security Essentials is to have a Windows XP SP2 or higher, 256 MB of RAM (1GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7), 140 MB of free disk space, and an Internet connection to update the signatures. To learn more (and get the product free of charge), visit the Microsoft Security Essentials .