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Microsoft Security Essentials is simply the best security program currently available for Windows computers. Installing MSE is on the short list of chores that I insist on doing for every computer I work on.

The license terms are being changed to permit it to be used by small businesses, although that’s not hugely significant since it has been used happily by small businesses all over the world ever since its release.

Microsoft Security Essentials was released a year ago as the free replacement for Windows Live OneCare. It is designed to provide first-class security protection against viruses and malware without calling attention to itself, and it delivers spectacularly on that promise. […] continued

This is for anyone who might have been procrastinating. Look down in the lower right corner for the icon for your security program.

If you see the Windows Live OneCare icon (pictured above), it’s time to move on!

If you see the Microsoft Security Essentials icon (pictured at right), you’re fine. Go back to work. (If you’re using Windows 7, you may have to click on the up arrow to find it in the hidden icons.)

Microsoft is sending out a blizzard of email notices to former OneCare users about OneCare subscription extensions and renewals and cancellations. You can ignore them. […] continued

Take a minute to make sure your security software is running. If you’ve switched to Microsoft Security Essentials, look for the reassuring checkmark down by the clock.

Two people reported problems with MSE in the last couple of days – no icon visible and an error message when they tried to launch the program from the Start menu. It has to be related to the upgrade released a couple of days ago but I can’t find any other reports and my own experiences installing the upgrade on 10 or 15 computers so far have all been straightforward – click the “Upgrade” button, install the upgrade, go back to work. […] continued

Starting on July 14, some Vista computers began displaying erroneous warning messages from the Windows Security Center. If you run Windows Live OneCare on a Vista machine, you may see a shield with an X in the lower right corner. Opening the Windows Security Center will display two warnings: “Windows Firewall is turned off,” and “Windows Live OneCare is on but is reporting its status to Windows Security Center in a format that is no longer supported.”

As long as OneCare is green, you are fully protected. You can ignore the warning shield.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is an issue in Vista’s security center that does not affect your security protection. […] continued

If you have a subscription to Windows Live OneCare, you are covered until the choices for security software are more clear towards the end of 2009. Keep using OneCare.

Your OneCare subscription will not expire. Starting last month, Microsoft began extending OneCare subscriptions automatically for six months for free. You’ll get an email to confirm that before your subscription expires. Here are the details of the free extension.

You are not obligated to continue using OneCare. You can switch to another program whenever you choose. Here is information about the security software on the market now.

I’ve been testing Microsoft Security Essentials, the free antivirus/spyware program released briefly to a small pool of beta testers. […] continued

On June 23, Microsoft will release a beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials, the free antivirus program that is replacing Windows Live OneCare.

Microsoft is now allowing journalists to write about the new program so a flurry of stories appeared today from people who have been testing it for the last month. All the news is good. Microsoft Security Essentials is a small download (4-5Mb for Vista), it provides excellent protection, and it has virtually no impact on system performance, even on underpowered computers. It is reportedly designed to disappear completely (not even an icon in Windows 7), with no notices or interaction required unless there is a problem. […] continued

Windows Live OneCare will be completely off the market at the end of June (although Microsoft will continue to issue virus definition updates for another year). When Microsoft announced that it was killing OneCare, the company added that it would be releasing free antivirus software in 2009 based on its enterprise-level Forefront security engine. No further information has been forthcoming.

Last week, Reuters leaked a small bit of information: Microsoft is testing an early version of the product with its own employees and it will “soon” make a trial version available.

This will be a very lightweight focused product, not a suite comparable to Trend Micro or Norton’s products, which include everything from an enhanced firewall to parental controls and backup software. […] continued

Previously:
BACKUPS – INTRODUCTION
BACKUPS – DATA vs. DRIVE IMAGE
BACKUPS – EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES

I’ll mention a few ways that you can make a backup copy of your important files, but this is necessarily just an overview. Remember, the important things are:

(1) you have a copy of your data stored somewhere besides its primary storage on your computer;

(2) you know what program you’re using to make the backup copy and you set it up correctly; and

(3) you know how to tell if the backup copy is being updated periodically.

With that in mind, here are a few ways to do backups. […] continued

You don’t have to leave Windows Live OneCare right away. It’s not broken and you don’t have to replace it. It will be supported until December 2010. Still, we can’t feel completely comfortable with a product that’s being taken off the market. You should consider switching to a current product when your OneCare subscription expires.

If you decide to leave OneCare, you have to cancel your subscription, especially if you bought it online. In that case Microsoft has your credit card number and will automatically renew unless you take steps ahead of time.

The official way to cancel is to call OneCare support at 1-866-ONECARE (1-866-663-2273) and choose “Cancel your account.” Don’t do that until you’re ready! […] continued

Small businesses running Microsoft Small Business Server have not had an easy time finding antivirus software.  Security suites designed for large companies are frequently complex, difficult to install and configure, and all too often require an inordinate amount of handholding.

On the other hand, every small business discovers a shortcoming of security software that is managed individually by each user: there’s always someone who doesn’t pay attention.  As a consultant collecting an hourly fee, I’m reluctant to log onto each workstation in a client’s office individually every couple of weeks to check whether updates have been installed and whether virus definitions are up to date.  These days though, the consequences of falling behind can be dire indeed. […] continued