Microsoft have now announced much more about their plans for Windows 8 running on ARM architecture including the somewhat curious decision to support the full Windows desktop, even though almost nothing can run on it.  But the fact that the desktop exists at all, and this means that it might be possible to install software that doesn’t come directly from the new Windows Store, leaves an interesting malware question mark over the platform.

So far, Windows 8 on ARM is the most malware resistant operating system on the planet!  I’ve always wanted to say that but this time it’s actually true    No malware at all exists that can infect this platform as nobody’s been able to write anything for it yet.  Thus, Windows 8 on ARM for the primary reason that it will be an embedded OS, will go on to be the most secure version of the operating system ever.  This won’t stop some forms of malware that try to trick users into giving up sensitive details, especially in the desktop version of Internet Explorer that will still support plug-ins (but ONLY ARM-encoded plug-ins I might add!) but nothing will be able to attack the operating system directly.  This will make Windows 8 on ARM just like iOS, QNX or WebOS in being malware resistant.  I’m leaving Android out of this as Google don’t monitor apps as they’re submitted and thus the platform does have a malware problem.

But this question mark over the Windows desktop and whether you will be able to install apps separately from the Windows store still needs to be answered.  What’s more another question Microsoft have yet to answer is whether Windows 8′s new in-built anti-virus software, Windows Defender, a rebadged version of Microsoft Security Essentials, will also be in the ARM version of the OS.  In theory there’s no need to ever have it, or any other anti-virus protection on the ARM platform.  With Microsoft vetting everything that comes through the Windows store, and only downloadable malware to worry about it again will be as secure as iOS, QNX and WebOS, where the majority of tablets run fine with no anti-malware protection whatsoever.

I do find it curious that Microsoft aren’t yet addressing these problems.  It’s very likely, and I will expect this, for Microsoft to say that the ARM devices will ONLY support apps and software from the Windows Store.  It’s also likely that nobody will ever release desktop software for WIndows on ARM either as the market for such programs will be too small to justify the enormous development costs.  The ARM desktop then will only ever be used for six programs.  File Explorer (formerly known as Windows Explorer), Internet Explorer (for which no plug-ins with the possible exception of Flash will ever exist) and Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote (none of which in all likelihood will support VB scripts or Macros).

I’m left wondering then if Windows 8 running on ARM processors could truly be as secure as the competition.  This is Windows and Microsoft though so you can imagine why I’m having a nagging doubt.  The company’s track record with security in Windows isn’t exactly stellar.  Windows 7 with User Account Control might be a nice and secure platform to work on, but nobody in their right mind would ever consider using it without having some type of malware protection installed.  There will still be the WIndows SmartScreen protection, but will this help?  You need an active Internet Connection to use it and how effective can it be anticipating threats that don’t yet exist?

So what do you think about the security of both Windows 8 running on ARM processors and Windows 8 running on Intel?  Do you think that Microsoft will include Windows Defender with the ARM version or will people never need it at all?  Do you expect to be able to install programs on the ARM desktop, or for tablet manufacturers to begin making machines with full USB ports so you can plug pen drives into them and do exactly that?  Why not tell us in the comments below.

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According to a Microsoft Blog Post, testers are needed for the next version of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)

Microsoft Security Essentials is available for small businesses with up to 10 PCs. If your business has more than 10 PCs, you can protect them with Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection.

What is Forefront Endpoint Protection

Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 allows you to consolidate desktop security and management in a single solution, because it is built on System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 and R3. This allows customers to use their existing client management infrastructure to deploy and manage endpoint protection. This shared infrastructure lowers ownership costs while providing improved visibility and control over endpoint management and security.

The Beta version of Security Essentials

The beta will be limited, i.e. it will not be available for everyone to test, and is not yet available, but will be some time before the end of the year. There’s no word as to when the final version of the next release of MSE will be available.

MSE is Microsoft’s free anti-malware/anti-virus product that is based on the same engine that its paid Forefront Endpoint Security product uses.

What will the new version of MSE contain?

Here are some of the expected new features.

• Automatic malware remediation: there will be automatic cleaning of high-impact malware infections. No required user interaction will be necessary
• Enhanced performance: There will be many performance improvements of the security software to make sure it doesn’t impact negatively PC performance
• Simplified UI: Also the interface of the beta easier to use.
• New and improved protection engine: The updated engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities.

Who can get MSE?
Microsoft intends for MSE to be available to users who either can’t or won’t pay for antivirus/anti-malware software. Registration is not required and there are no trials with an expiration date or required renewals. However, Microsoft, in the past at least, has restricted the MSE download, both the beta and final versions, to PCs running a copy of Genuine Windows; pirated version of Windows will not be able to download of MSE.

To register for the  Beta Testers program see Microsoft Security Essentials beta registration opens

Forefront Endpoint Protection

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For years if you have wanted to clean a PC that’s heavily infected with malware there were precious few, if any, tools you could actually boot your computer from to perform the cleanup.  Now Microsoft are jumping in with a new beta product called Standalone System Sweeper.

The tool, which is based on Microsoft Security Essentials, claims to be able to remove rootkits, malware and viruses effectively, though the company stress it’s not a replacement for a full anti-virus package.

The software, which is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions to match your copy of Windows creates a CD, DVD or Flash Drive you can start your PC from to run malware scans.  It says you need a live Internet connection and at least 250Mb free on the device you create the installer on.

This is a useful program to keep around, though bear in mind that it’s still a beta and therefore may have flaws.  You would need to create a new bootable CD, DVD or pen drive for each infection as, just as with similar software such as MacAfee Stinger, it will only use the virus and malware definitions that are available at the time.

With this in mind I wouldn’t create a disc and leave it laying around for when you need it, as the virus and malware definitions will be out of date when it’s required.  Rather you would create a disc on a different PC to the one that’s infected.

The other thing to bear in mind is that this product is based on Microsoft’s free anti-virus program, Security Essentials.  While this product uses the same malware database as its award-winning cousin, Forefront Client Security, security Essentials hasn’t scored brilliantly in recent group tests.  It’s still a good product though and I still recommend it.

You can download the beta of Standalone System Sweeper here.

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As more and more users enter the always-connected world of the internet, it becomes even more important  to make sure you are protected from the different viruses and websites that mean to do your computer harm. With so many different anti-virus options to choose from, which one is best?

I can’t answer that question and no one really can, but you can use things like the recent AV-Test to see where your anti-virus programs ranks among some of the best free and paid options out there.

The AV-Test consists of 22 anti-virus programs on Windows 7. The test is said to determine just how good your program is and each program requires a minimum score of 11 out of 18 possible to pass. So, where did Microsoft’s Security Essentials v2.0 rank? Unfortunately, for Microsoft, MSE came out of the test with only a score of 11.5.

The three areas of testing were: Protection, Repair and Usability. According to AV-Test the definitions for such are:

The “Protection” covers static and dynamic malware detection, including real-world 0-Day attack testing. In case of “Repair”, we check the system disinfection and rootkit removal in detail. The “Usability” testing includes the system slow-down caused by the tools and the number of false positives.

Microsoft’s Security Essentials did pretty well except in the area of zero-day attacking, where it scored a 2.5. Repair was 3.5 and Usability was 5.5. I have personally been using Security Essentials for a while and have never had a problem, but it never hurts to be constantly evaluating your PC’s protection to make sure that you don’t have any issue’s where it can be easily avoided.

Let me know what you guys use for PC protection in the comments and where your anit-virus program ranks on the chart.

You can check out the rest of the programs and their rankings on the score chart here.

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Yesterday Microsoft quietly announced Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0, it’s anti-malware software. As usual it’s available as a free download and while it’s predecessor was widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best anti-virus solutions out there, MSE 2.0 only improves on it.

Ever since Microsoft released Microsoft Security Essentials, I’ve learnt to stop worrying about my antivirus.. I no longer pay for software to protect my computer and no longer have to worry about whether or not I have a virus all the time. I’ve been using Microsoft Security Essentials right from its first public beta and haven’t looked back since. It’s unprecedented protection has kept every computer in my household free from viruses since it’s been released, all the while remaining anonymous to the users.

So what’s new in MSE 2.0? Well the most noticeable difference to users is the color scheme, but that’s about it. It’s underneath the skin where all the work has taken place.

The old MSE operated on mainly just detected viruses using the virus database and definitions. But this latest versions ads a heuristic engine which takes things up another notch. This means you’re more likely to be protected by viruses and malware that hasn’t been positively identified yet, and you’re less likely to get false positives.

And as we’d expect, Microsoft have made this version faster and cleaner than before. It seamlessly integrates with Windows 7 and the security center as well as the firewall. The new version also integrates with Internet Explorer to detect Web-based threats and will keep an eye out for malware coming in through a network .

All in all, Microsoft Security Essentials still remains one of the best security suites out there and I recommend it to you all,

You can grab the new version for free from here

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A new beta of Microsoft’s free anti-virus product, Microsoft Security Essentials has appeared just as Panda Anti-Virus looks set to complain to the EU about Microsoft offering the package to Windows users who have no or out of date anti-virus protection as an optional update.

The new beta reportedly adds a new improved scanning engine to what was already an excellent product.  There’s Windows firewall integration (though is just really allows you to switch the firewall on and off), integration with Internet Explorer and network inspection functionality.

The release, reported by blogger Mary-Jo Foley, is an important step-forward for MSE which in its current form is primarily in competition with the free version of AVG.

The release has “improvements to the quality of the product including performance enhancements as well as some user interface modifications.” The product team has removed  the protection against web threats feature in the Security Essentials Beta “as it was causing PC performance issues.”

The fact that Microsoft has any anti-virus package at all though is of great concern to anti-virus vendors who have long enjoyed fleecing charging users with annual subscriptions.  The simple fact remains though that Windows needs anti-virus protection and it’s frankly daft that it doesn’t have something like MSE bundled.

Some vendors have called for a ballot screen for anti-virus software such as users in the EU have for their web browser though many people have called this idea stupid.  This commentator isn’t so sure.  The ballot screen has genuinely provided a choice for people who may never have heard of anything other than Internet Explorer and it’s really not annoying in any way shape or form.  A wider roll-out of ballot screens for web browsers and anti-virus software with Windows could turn out to be a very wise move by Microsoft.

We’ll have to wait to see how this turns out, and if it goes to the EU we’ll still be talking about this in 2013.

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Microsoft Security Essentials  is a free download available from Microsoft; it installs easily, it can be used without training, and it is kept up to date with the latest definitions available. Once you installed it and run your scan the software will tell you if you are secure or not.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs in the background while you are using your Windows PC without interruptions or long computer wait times. Here are the steps necessary to bring it on line.

Once you have downloaded the program, run the setup program.

The Welcome Screen

[2]

View and Accept the License Agreement

[3]

An Important Step: Validate Your Windows Copy

[4]

The Passed Validation Screen Notice

[5]

The Software is Now Ready To Install

[6]

Installation Status

[7]

Completing The Installation Process

[8]

A Status Review is Performed to Identify the Security Status of the PC

[9]

When the Scan is Complete the Security Status is Upgraded to Secure

[10]

Settings Can Be Modified

ScareWare

Microsoft has identified a rogue piece of scareware that claims to be the Official Security Essentials suite. The rogue anti-malware client that sits on your screen lists a collection of infections. To remove them, it asks the user to pay a small fee to obtain the “fullly functioing” non-trial version of Security Essentials. Remember Security Essentials is FREE

Here is what the “Security Essentials” screen looks like. Remember this is malware!

Rogue Security Essentials

1

Trial Version

What does Security Essentials 2010 do?

The Malware program, Security Essentials 2010, is the Trojan:Win32/Fakeinit, that infects Windows PCs, and, on the contrary it does not remove malware. In fact it truly is scareware because it not only installs the fake scanner component, then it also monitors other running processes and it attempts to terminate the ones it doesn’t like. So your malware prevention programs could be turned off.

• It changes the registry by lowering a number of security settings.
• It displays an disturbing message and changes the desktop background.
• It attempts to lock in this desktop background by modifing the registry.
• It also downloads and installs a Win32/Alureon component, (Win32/Alureon is a family of data-stealing trojans. They intercept incoming and outgoing Web traffic in order to steal personal data such as user names, passwords, and credit card data.)
• It downloads a Layered Service Provider (LSP) element, also part of the Trojan:Win32/Fakeinit trojan. This LSP monitors the Internet traffic used by various Web browsers that might have installed, and blocks traffic to certain domains. It also blocks access to a number of popular video websites, which includes Facebook, eBay, and YouTube, amont others.

This program is ingenious because it pretends to be a legitimate Microsoft product. It does several things; it warns you of infections, it installs trojans, it collects personal information, it blocks Internet access to certain websites, and it asks for money to remove the infections. If you run the scan, or launch the program in any way, it infects your PC. In fact, the infection comes at the instigation of the user. So even if you do pay the fee for the “full-version” to keep the infection from occurring it will infect your computer anyway, and it will not remove the infections that you have on your computer. For that, you will have to get a malware removal program.

Source: MicroSoft Security Essentials

Source: Microsoft Malware Protection Center

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Microsoft’s long-awaited free replacement for their awful OneCare anti-virus (sic!) software will apparently ship sometime on September 29th.  This time however the flaky anti-virus protection will have gone to be replaced by the same award-winning scanning engine contained in their corporate ForeFront security package.  As you can see from this, I think rather amusing, publicity shot in which I can only assume the man is introducing his girlfriend to internet porn, relieved he’s now dumped OneCare and has some decent protection instead.  

This news doesn’t come as any major surprise to me.  Microsoft will no doubt have already spoken to PC vendors about bundling MSE with their new Windows 7 PCs.  This would be an excellent move.  Okay so the PC vendors get a cut every time someone activates and pays for the full version of whatever (usually rubbish) anti-virus software they’ve bundled, but MSE offers a couple of features that raise it above the competition.

The first is the aforementioned scanning and detection engine.  The second is a simple feature that only runs scheduled scans when you’re not using the machine.  It’s a simple idea and one that I think more anti-virus vendors should adopt. 

I’ve been using MSE for some time now and I’ve been impressed enough to finally dump AVG, and that took a lot believe me!  It’s simple to set up and use and needs no tweaking ‘out of the box’.  In short, it’s perfect for people like most of my friends and family, who only know about updating anti-virus software after they’ve been hit by a trojan.

Microsoft have got a huge mountain to climb convincing the masses that they can provide high levels of security.  Both Windows XP and OneCare were PR disasters security-wise.  If they can convince system builders to ship it as standard though, then they’re in with a good shot at success.

There’s no final download URL yet but this is a good bet.  I can thoroughly recommend MSE, go download it today… erm… no, tomorrow…  yeah!     Credit to Mary Jo Foley for breaking this.

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Earlier, I made a post in which I described the upcoming Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) and explained what all of the hype was about. Now, the Redmond company has released the 1.0 Beta, and anyone can download MSE directly from Microsoft. On Microsoft’s page for MSE, a link to Microsoft Connect is provided from which users can fill out a quick survey (seven questions) about security, and upon completion, users can download the Beta for Windows 7 (x86 and x64), Windows Vista (x86 and x64), or Windows XP (x86 only).

Microsoft provides a quick explanation on their official page:

You’re too busy to spend a lot of time worrying about protecting your PC. With Microsoft Security Essentials Beta, you get high-quality protection against viruses and spyware, including Trojans, worms and other malicious software. And best of all, there are no costs or annoying subscriptions to keep track of.

Security Essentials is easy to install and easy to use. Updates and upgrades are automatic, so there’s no need to worry about having the latest protection. It’s easy to tell if you’re protected – when the Security Essentials icon is green, your status is good. It’s as simple as that.

When you’re busy using your PC, you don’t want to be bothered by needless alerts. Security Essentials runs quietly in the background, only alerting you if there’s something you need to do. And it doesn’t use a lot of system resources, so it won’t get in the way of your work or fun.

Remember that you will need to meet the minimum requirements:

• For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU with clock speed of at least 500MHz and at least 256MB of RAM
• For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU with clock speed of at least 1.0GHz and at least 1GB of RAM
• VGA (display): 800×600 or higher
• Storage: 140MB of available hard-disk space
• An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions.
• Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or higher.

A second build will be released to the public later this summer, which will be either a Beta Refresh or a Release Candidate, and then the final build in the fall (either before or around the release of Windows 7). However, interestingly enough, the Beta build (1.0.1407.00) is lower than that of the leaked build (1.0.2140.0), so users of the leak could be advised to keep their current version and those who do not have MSE already may wish to obtain the leaked copy.

Download

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