Why You Should Replace Microsoft Security Essentials With A Proper Antivirus

[anuseems]

Microsoft threw its hat in the anti-virus arena in 2009 with Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), a tool that runs on Windows XP, 7 and 8. The move received early praise, as it seemed strange that the company had gone so long without providing even the most basic anti-virus protection, and early tests showed MSE to be nearly as effective as paid competitors.

The honeymoon didnt last, however. More recent tests have shown that MSE doesnt provide the features users should look for in an effective anti-virus. Heres where it falls short and what you should look for in a replacement.

Protection Matters

In my article about security myths I dispelled the notion that all antivirus apps are the same. There is, in fact, a huge difference between the best and worst, and an antivirus ability to detect and quarantine threats remains its most important trait.

Early versions of MSE scored well in independent tests, but the high marks didnt last. The latest AV-Test results found Microsofts suite to be the least effective, as it blocked only 93% of known threats and 71% of zero-day attacks.

avtestmse1 Why You Should Replace Microsoft Security Essentials With A Proper Antivirus

Those numbers might seem okay until you look at the competitors. Avast free antivirus, for example, blocked 100% of known threats and 98% of zero-day attacks. That means that if you have 100 computers with MSE, and 100 with Avast, the group running MSE would fall victim to 14 zero-day attacks for every single attack that slips by Avast.

MSEs failure to keep up with the competition highlights the fact that security is a field that changes constantly. An app that scores very well can slip behind the competition within a year if its not kept up to date. This is why you should always consult independent testing organizations like AV-Test and AV-Comparatives before deciding on an antivirus.

Theres More To An Antivirus Than The Antivirus

Microsofts decision to release an antivirus for Windows was the right choice, yet it was also hopelessly out of date. Security has long passed the point where a simple antivirus is sufficient for most users.

bitdefendersuite Why You Should Replace Microsoft Security Essentials With A Proper Antivirus

There are many other avenues of attack, and some can be used to circumvent an antivirus entirely. Phishing is perhaps the most common. A phishing attack is an attempt to steal sensitive information, like passwords or credit card information, by posing as a legitimate business or authority. The best phishing attacks use URL trickery and expertly re-created websites to fool all but the most attentive users. Any antivirus suite worth selling for more than a few bucks offers anti-phishing tools that can spot suspicious URLs and website, but MSE offers no such feature.

And thats just one of the many extras a modern antivirus suite can offer. Most also provide a secure file shredder, a firewall thats easier to use than that built into Windows, a safe payment sandbox, cloud-powered spam detection, and a utility for removing even the most robust threats (like rootkits).

Popularity Is A Problem

Ironically, MSE has fallen victim to the problem it was meant to solve. Windows has always been the most popular target of malware because its the most popular operating system. Now that MSE is out, and used by millions of users, it too has become a target.

Whether this is the reason why the software suffers from such power scores in independent tests is hard to say. The idea that malware developers might be taking MSE into account when creating a new Trojan or virus is plausible, but also hard to prove one way or the other.

msefake Why You Should Replace Microsoft Security Essentials With A Proper Antivirus

Whats certain, though, is that developers of rogue antivirus software have used the existence of MSE as cover for numerous fakes. These apps look like MSE, but actually serve as an avenue for the installation of ad-ware. Other fakes prey on unsuspecting users who dont know the software is free and trick them into paying.

Security giants like Norton and McAfee have also had issues with fakes, but nothing on the scale of MSE. Security through obscurity does not guarantee safety, but malware developers are a lot less likely to develop new threats that specifically target a third-party antivirus like Avira or F-Secure.

Even Microsoft Says You Should Use Something Else

Still not convinced that you should look for a third-party security suite? Then perhaps youll take Microsofts advice!

Holly Stewart, senior program manager of the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, told Dennis Technology Labs that the company only pursues a baseline strategy. In other words, MSE isnt designed to be good, and is instead developed to head off only the most prevalent attacks. She also said that the natural progression is that we will always be on the bottom of these [antivirus] tests. This is allegedly because Microsoft actively shares what it knows about security threats with third-party partners.

Conclusion

A good antivirus stops the vast majority of threats, has features that protect against a wide range of threats, and doesnt see its effectiveness reduced by fakes or threats specifically designed to circumvent it.

MSE, unfortunately, fails in all three areas. Initial praise for the software has turned to disappointment and its now clear that a third-party antivirus remains the best pick even for users who dont want to pay. While it does provide some protection, theres no reason to use MSE when other free antiviruses provide better protection, better performance and more features.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/replace-microsoft-security-essentials-proper-antivirus/

Edited April 12, 2014 by anuseems

[Blackchildcx]

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Edited April 12, 2014 by Blackchildcx

[dcs18]

Why You Should Replace Microsoft Security Essentials With A Proper Antivirus

Before replacing MSE - I'd want to find out the monkey that installed it in the first place. :D

[ande]

What I can see from source this article might be sponsored by BD.

I agree MSE isn't something in terms of protection, however, even if you replace it (with something preferably "better"), configure it and set few rules (what (not) to do) people will learn how to disable protection modules in order to infect machine with toolbar or web player plugin.