Apparently Morro will can be downloaded directly from
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials starting on June 23rd in a
limited public beta for XP, Vista and Windows 7 users. The Microsoft
Security Essentials Web page isn't working at the moment, but it should be
by Tuesday.
(From
http://gizmodo.com/5295656/microsof...oftware-codename-morro-available-on-june-23rd):
Microsoft Security Essentials
Fact Sheet
June 2009
As threats to the safety and security of today's PC users continue to
evolve, Microsoft Corp. is actively working to help keep PC users protected
so that they have a safer and enjoyable Windows experience. From building
products that are more resilient to attack to delivering solutions designed
to help secure the platform, Microsoft is committed to being a leader in
providing consumers and enterprise customers worldwide with ongoing
protection from new and existing threats.
In addition to taking advantage of the security designed and built into
its products, Microsoft also encourages consumers to use real-time
anti-malware protection to help protect their PCs from new and evolving
threats. There are many quality security products to choose from (both free
and subscription-based); however cost and performance barriers prevent many
consumers from using up-to-date security software to protect their PCs.
To address consumer demand for quality anti-malware protection that's easy
to get and doesn't slow down system performance, Microsoft is introducing
Microsoft Security Essentials, a no-cost anti-malware solution that provides
consumers with quality protection from threats including viruses, spyware,
rootkits and trojans. And because Microsoft Security Essentials is offered
directly from Microsoft, consumers can have confidence that the software
they download is legitimate and not rogue security software that can
actually cause a PC to become infected with malware.
Available to genuine Windows users, Microsoft Security Essentials has been
designed to be hassle-free and is focused on addressing consumer demand for
a security product that delivers the following:
Quality protection
An easy-to-use experience
Unobtrusive performance
Quality Anti-Malware Protection
With malware attacks increasing in both number and severity and the
increasing incidence of rogue security software, quality anti-malware
protection delivered from a trusted source is a must-have for today's PC
users. With Microsoft Security Essentials, consumers can feel safer knowing
that their PCs are being protected against viruses, spyware and other
malicious software by the same core technology that is the basis for
Microsoft's other award-winning security products and that is backed by
Microsoft's world-class Security Response Center. Security features in
Microsoft Security Essentials include the following:
Real-time protection. Microsoft Security Essentials uses real-time
protection to help address potential threats before they ever have an
opportunity to become a problem.
Dynamic Signature Service. In addition to taking advantage of daily
signature downloads, Microsoft Security Essentials is able to validate
suspicious files against newly identified malware in near-real time by
querying the Dynamic Signature Service. Actions from unknown sources such as
unexpected network connections, attempting to modify privileged parts of the
system or downloading known malicious content all trigger requests for
updates from the Dynamic Signature Service.
Rootkit protection. Microsoft Security Essentials includes a number of new
and improved technologies to provide additional defense against rootkits and
other aggressive threats. These technologies include live kernel behavior
monitoring for monitoring the integrity of kernel structures, support for
direct file-system parsing to help identify and remove malicious programs
and drivers hidden from the file system, and improved live rootkit removal
that dynamically loads a new kernel mode driver as part of the cleaning
process so that it can help successfully remove some of the more advanced
rootkits.
Easy to get, easy to use
While there are many security solutions on the market today, the paid
subscription model for consumer security does not meet the needs of many
consumers, including those in emerging markets where cost, limited
availability of payment instruments such as credit cards and hardware
constraints can limit adoption of core security protection. To address the
need for quality protection without the hassle of annual renewals or the
cost and payment barriers associated with many suite products, Microsoft
makes obtaining Microsoft Security Essentials and staying up to date with
the latest technical and security protection advancements easy:
Available at no cost. Because Microsoft Security Essentials is available
at no cost, there is no need to go through a lengthy registration process or
provide billing information.
Direct download. Microsoft Security Essentials is easy to obtain online
direct from Microsoft, meaning consumers can have confidence knowing they
are downloading quality anti-malware protection from a trusted source.
No registration, trials or renewals. Consumers can be confused by trials
and annual renewals, in many cases believing they have up-to-date anti-virus
protection when in fact they do not. With Microsoft Security Essentials,
consumers can download the software without a cumbersome registration
process and stay protected without the hassle of annual renewals.
Up to date. Microsoft Security Essentials is automatically updated to help
ensure that signatures, the anti-malware engine and the application are
always up to date. New malware signatures are downloaded daily with new
signatures accessed in near-real time through the Dynamic Signature Service
when suspicious behavior is detected.
Single-click fix. There is no guesswork required to keep the PC protected.
When there is an issue requiring user attention, an action button appears in
a prominent location on the notification with the suggested action, making
it easy for the consumer to fix the issue with just one click.
Quiet Protection
Microsoft Security Essentials is designed to run quietly and efficiently
in the background so that consumers can use their Windows-based PC the way
they want - without worrying about interruptions, pop-ups or poor system
performance. To help keep PCs protected without overburdening system
resources, Microsoft Security Essentials includes the following features:
Lightweight design. Because Microsoft Security Essentials is core
anti-malware only, it doesn't carry the weight of the suite products and has
a much smaller download size.
CPU throttling. CPU throttling helps ensure that the user's system remains
responsive to those tasks the user is likely to be performing such as
opening files or browser windows, launching programs, editing documents,
saving files, etc.
Idle-time scanning. Scans and updates are scheduled to run when the PC is
idle and use a low-priority thread.
Smart caching and active memory swapping. Signatures not in use don't take
up space in the available memory, making Microsoft Security Essentials
friendlier toward older PCs as well as today's smaller, less powerful form
factors.
Microsoft Security Essentials System Requirements
Operating System: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows
Vista; Windows 7 (Beta or Release Candidate)
For Windows XP, a PC with:
CPU with clock speed of 500 MHz or higher
Memory of 256 MB RAM or higher
For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with:
CPU with clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher
Memory of 1 GB RAM or higher
VGA (display): 800x600 or higher
Storage: 140 MB of available hard-disk space
An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the
latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Security Essentials Beta.
Pricing and Availability
Microsoft Security Essentials Beta will be available for limited public
download beginning June 23, 2009, from
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials in the following geographies
and languages:
Geographies: Brazil, Israel, U.S.
Languages: Brazilian Portuguese, English
Public beta testing for Simplified Chinese in China will be available
later in 2009.
Ǝиçεl said:
The MSE download is impressively lightweight. The x64 copy I installed on
Windows 7 was 3.8 MB in size; x86 copies are 4.8 MB for Vista/Windows 7
and
7.7 MB for Windows XP. Installation (including the most recent definition
updates) took less than four minutes and, as promised, the initial setup
didn’t require any personal information or registration.
Source: <
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1067&page=2>
Ed does an admirable job, as always, thanks !
I'd be curious to know where you obtained this Beta ?
URL please...
