Is Microsoft Security Essentials Enough? The answer appears to be no.

[avander]

"Microsoft themselves have noted that MSE offers only ‘baseline performance’ and have indirectly acknowledged that it does not offer the security equivalent to that a commercial solution might. MSE is limited and far from robust. Even free third party alternatives perform better."

The above is a quote from the linked article below; there are many other similar comments about MSE around:

http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles-tutorials/windows_os_security/microsoft-windows-security-essentials-enough-enterprise-security.html

Being an IT guy, my desktop PC is used for quite a lot of different applications such as MS Office compatible Open Office suite. project management software, process mapping tools, 3D drawing tools and video and image editing applications to name a few. I regularly up and download various content and am accessing many, many websites as I expect most do. The PC is also a part of my multimedia center at home.

I had been using MSE with little complaint exclusively for well over a year as I decided around then to "simplify" and rationalize my applications and utilities and using MSE which according to Microsoft is a "free antivirus program for your personal computer, and provides real-time protection against viruses, spyware and other malicious software."

Over the past few months and even though I religiously keep everything updated and did regular scheduled scanning with MSE I noticed an increasing number of small annoyances occurring such as "adware" and other potentially unwanted programs (PuPs) appearing on my system. These were mainly affecting my browser (Chrome). After I twigged to what was going on I initially downloaded the anti-malware application Malwarebytes free version (located here: https://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/ ) to clean these up but they kept appearing. Highly recommended!

I then recently had dinner with a guy who runs his own web development and hosting business in Australia who informed me that Microsoft MSE is not that serious a contender in the anti-virus stakes and made essentially the same comment as my opening quote in this post.

As a result I decided to take his advice and took the following actions:

1. Removed (uninstalled) Microsoft Security Essentials from my PC
2. Installed Bitdefender (one of the antivirus apps he recommended as an alternative to MSE).
3. Uninstalled AVG (free version) off all of our mobile phones and installed "Avast" which was recommended as a better Android solution.
4. Left Malwarebytes on my PC just in case.

After 3 weeks everything seems to be fine. I have had no problems and no more occurrences of any annoying "adware" or other PUPs.

No doubt, some of you will have other options but my point is that you should not be relying on MSE alone and I wanted to post my experience for other TV members using MSE.

[Pib]

IMO only using MSE is like using a Chihuahua as a guard dog...good for making a lot of noise and scaring away some bad guys from entering your house, but not much bite to fend off the tougher bad guys...especially bad guys who are always developing new ways to quietly break into your house. And the more doggy websites a person may visit needs a bigger, meaner, and more alert guard dog than a Chihuahua.

[lostinisaan]

Being an IT guy, my desktop PC is used for quite a lot of different applications such as MS Office compatible Open Office suite. project management software, process mapping tools, 3D drawing tools and video and image editing applications to name a few. I regularly up and download various content and am accessing many, many websites as I expect most do.

1. Removed (uninstalled) Microsoft Security Essentials from my PC Why? Would you cut your seat belts out, because somebody would tell you that it's cool to do so? Or maybe put some fancy lights underneath your car.
2. Installed Bitdefender (one of the antivirus apps he recommended as an alternative to MSE).Not the best one that's available for free.
3. Uninstalled AVG (free version) off all of our mobile phones and installed "Avast" which was recommended as a better Android solution." A virus has been detected program helps nobody on this planet." My neighbors wife's bit didn't really defend her.
4. Left Malwarebytes on my PC just in case. Free gave you the opportunity to download some other crap, you don't even know about now. You must have various serious viruses/Trojan horses/Hijackers/ Idiots, etc.. "on board".
5. Completely forgot what I was talking about. Nor do I remember what I did for the last two weeks.

To make it short. You're even spending more time behind a monitor than I do....Congrats for your post. You're highly addicted to Cyber life..

And you'll never stop learning new things. Never.

But the search will go on and on and you'll never ever finish your search to have it all. ...

Edited April 6, 2015 by lostinisaan

[NeverSure]

But the search will go on and on and you'll never ever finish your search to have it all. ...

No kidding. We should have a poll asking how many have ever had malware which totally knocked out a computer without being repairable.

I have never had a virus/trojan/worm that I know of. AVG free gives me false positives for some of my favorite .exe files in my machine and backups unless I mark them allowed.

My advice.

Don't start with a dodgy copy of Windows which may be altered. Don't install from an .msi file or an image unless you know the person who made it. Use the real thing even if you're going to....

Use an AV with a good rating even if it's free. Be sure it can run regular scans including all drives.

Be smart about what you click with websites and emails.

Make regular backups and save one once in a while by renaming it BAK_Date_backup from backup.

Make an image of the drive right after the OS and drivers and backup files and folders and needed programs are installed and keep it with other documentation. Then make nightly scheduled backups using something like Cobian Backup (free.)

Now go have a beer and do something relaxing.

Cheers

Edited April 6, 2015 by NeverSure

[taotoo]

I agree with the above, except I don't think you need anything more than MSE as long as you've got a bit of common sense.

I've been using it exclusively since it came out years ago (when it was called something else I think), and have not had any viruses, malware, or anything else in that time.

I'm aware MSE isn't the best, but don't feel the need for anything more complete. It's lightweight and unobtrusive, and I make regular images in case the worst happens.

Have never installed Malwarebytes, CC cleaner, third-party firewall etc., and don't intend on doing so.

[avander]

I agree with the above, except I don't think you need anything more than MSE as long as you've got a bit of common sense.

I've been using it exclusively since it came out years ago (when it was called something else I think), and have not had any viruses, malware, or anything else in that time.

I'm aware MSE isn't the best, but don't feel the need for anything more complete. It's lightweight and unobtrusive, and I make regular images in case the worst happens.

Have never installed Malwarebytes, CC cleaner, third-party firewall etc., and don't intend on doing so.

I respect your opinion and if I had not had the inconvenient incursions (of PuPs) that kept hijacking my browser when MSE was protecting me I would still be right there with you.

The only difference would be that I also had/still have the Malwarebytes free version which does pick up threats not found by MSE btw.

The jury is still out on the free version of Bitdefender which is my reason for maintaining Malwarebytes but so far so good...

[Pib]

The free version of BitDeFender supposedly runs the same core engine and virus definitions as the BitDefender you pay for, but the free version has a very, very basic menu/options.....no bells and whistles....it's pretty much install and forget. I've been running it on one of my three computers for about 6 months now...it's still malware free as far as I know....and I've used some other freebie programs to do one-time scans just to check.