Microsoft Security Essentials or MSE is a common antivirus program for personal computers. It comes free with Windows Vista, but is offered at a cheaper price when purchased separately. It covers basic protection against computer viruses that can include spam, fake email, malware, and viruses. Some of the more advanced features in this program include a security engine that constantly scans for new threats. It also offers real-time protection from intrusion attempts, and a built-in firewall that protects all incoming data from being corrupted or compromised. These features make it a popular choice among PC users.
Microsoft Security Essentials has been around for several years, but is still a very powerful program. It runs as a service, so it always has up-to-date security updates available. The program may be slow to start up and shut down, but it generally runs extremely fast. The user interface is fairly simple, with options to manage the various scanning categories and scan settings. Additional tools are available if you want to boost your security, including a remote recovery option that allows you to retrieve your lost data.
Microsoft Security Essentials comes with some standard features. One of these is an online tool that allows you to check your computer’s version number. This feature may be essential to keeping your virus protection up-to-date, especially if you use multiple computers that have Microsoft Security Essentials installed on them. A web browser that displays a security banner is also included. If you receive emails from unknown senders, you can identify them so you can block them.
Microsoft Security Essentials provides good protection. It will scan your computer for infections and let you select the ones you want to remove. The interface for this software is relatively simple, although it includes a lot of useful features. You can optimize the security settings on your computer to increase protection. You can also set up automatic updates for Microsoft Security Essentials.
There are other similar programs. They include AVG Free, Panda Security, Norton Antivirus, Kaspersky Anti-virus, Symantec Anti-Spyware, etc. Some of these programs work well. AVG and Panda are among the best free antivirus programs, but only Symantec and Kaspersky are considered to be high quality programs. The price of Microsoft Security Essentials may put some people off.
You should not get swayed by commercials for one of these programs. Each program has good and bad qualities. And the one that you choose will depend on your personal preferences. And, of course, your budget. But Microsoft Security Essentials has proven to be a good program over the years.
