OSNews: http://www.osnews.com/story/21696/Microsoft_Announces_Free_Antivirus_Limited_Public_Beta Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2009, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:45:32 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif OSNews.com http://www.osnews.com Comment by daedliusswartz http://osnews.com/thread?369241 http://osnews.com/thread?369241 Hmm, just wondering... how does one properly beta test this? Purposely infect your PC with virii, malware, etc? Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:51:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (daedliusswartz) Comments Antipirate? http://osnews.com/thread?369255 http://osnews.com/thread?369255 They will among other things clean "fake or pirated software and content". Is that right?
Well good luck with that.

Imagine a user who installed the new AV from MS just to find out that her movies, music, tv shows and other goodies have been removed to protect her. ;) Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:39:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (drstorm) Comments No Thanks http://osnews.com/thread?369266 http://osnews.com/thread?369266 Well, Microsoft has shown that they can fix and protect us from malware and viruses before so why not trust them exclusively... oh wait...

Also, I find it fundamentally odd that instead of fixing the original problems with their operating system, Microsoft instead put out security software. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:28:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (RedDogRER) Comments Previously a bundled, paid service? http://osnews.com/thread?369272 http://osnews.com/thread?369272 I thought that they were originally going to offer this with Windows Vista as a paid service until Symantec and McAfee complained.

If it's free, will anyone want it more? I'd be afraid that it has security holes in it and could be disabled quite quickly.

That said, the free alternatives have been odd for me. I switched from AVG to Antivir but Antivir fails to update and their forums have a dozen or more different problems in updating.

When does the time come when it's all free and secure? Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:49:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (bousozoku) Comments Comment by diego http://osnews.com/thread?369274 http://osnews.com/thread?369274 I haven't used Windows for ages, but I think they should focus on making their OS better and more secure internally, instead of giving band-aid solutions like free antivirus software.Edited 2009-06-19 00:09 UTC Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:01:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (diego) Comments That time again http://osnews.com/thread?369304 http://osnews.com/thread?369304 Ah, so it's that time again when MS feel the need to kill off another one of it's support industries. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:28:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Soulbender) Comments RE: Comment by daedliusswartz http://osnews.com/thread?369323 http://osnews.com/thread?369323 I'll tell you, like Lisa's tiger repelling rock. You use it, and if you don't get infections (at least ones it can recognize) then it's working. Tada. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (l3v1) Comments Legal Matter http://osnews.com/thread?369331 http://osnews.com/thread?369331 As long as they don't bundle it with Windows, I believe it should be fine. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (OSGuy) Comments RE: Previously a bundled, paid service? http://osnews.com/thread?369341 http://osnews.com/thread?369341
I thought that they were originally going to offer this with Windows Vista as a paid service until Symantec and McAfee complained.

If it's free, will anyone want it more? I'd be afraid that it has security holes in it and could be disabled quite quickly.

That said, the free alternatives have been odd for me. I switched from AVG to Antivir but Antivir fails to update and their forums have a dozen or more different problems in updating.

When does the time come when it's all free and secure?


Clamav database is free.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clamav

Both ClamAV and its updates are made available free of charge.


Moon secure is a freedom software on-access scanner that utilises the clamav database (without also requiring Winpooch).

http://www.moonsecure.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=vie...

Moon Secure AV is an opensource antivirus currently using the clamav engine due to fast response time and huge AV database

...

Unlike clam it has an enterprise level real-time scanner. It is built for windows and will run on XP and vista. It can scan portable drives and fixed drives. It is able to detect viruses, Trojans and spyware.

...

We aim to be part of an opensource “suite” which will allow all users to still use the environment they are comfortable with but benefit from the terrific opensource community.


You are in a very bad position if you have to run Windows, and hence in an effort to try to keep your machine uninfected you must rely on additional software that can only work once the malware files have already made it on to your machine. Yuk.

But, if you are in such an unenviable position, then perhaps some of this genuine freedom software may be of some help to you.

Oh ... BTW ... being open source, at least some of people who might use this software can tell that this software, which is meant after all to scan all the files on your machine, does so only for the purpose of checking said files against the malwares signature database.

You can't say the same with assurance for any closed source programs, free (as in cost) or not.Edited 2009-06-19 11:02 UTC Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:47:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lemur2) Comments It's a simple question. http://osnews.com/thread?369393 http://osnews.com/thread?369393 Can you trust a company to protect your computer when it's their other software that created the problem?

In Jersey that have a name for this kind of thing. ;) Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:08:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (systyrant) Comments RE: That time again http://osnews.com/thread?369400 http://osnews.com/thread?369400
Ah, so it's that time again when MS feel the need to kill off another one of it's support industries.

Just what I was going to say.

I thought MS was driven to help the 3rd party security/antivirus market flurish? It _IS_ a big industry after all. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (kenji) Comments Glad to see them do it http://osnews.com/thread?369406 http://osnews.com/thread?369406 They will still allow the user to pick an AV of their choice, but now a system being put up on the internet does not have to be totally open before being able to download AV. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:47:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (libray) Comments RE: Comment by daedliusswartz http://osnews.com/thread?369511 http://osnews.com/thread?369511
Hmm, just wondering... how does one properly beta test this? Purposely infect your PC with viruses, malware, etc?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus_(plural)#Virus Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:30:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (watkin5) Comments RE[2]: Previously a bundled, paid service? http://osnews.com/thread?369610 http://osnews.com/thread?369610 The ClamAV engine is nice but slow. A full disk search takes a lot longer with clam than for example AntiVir.

And the Moonsecure GUI is ugly as hell. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jokkel) Comments