New features in the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials include:
Windows Firewall integration – During setup, Microsoft Security Essentials will now ask if you would like to turn the Windows Firewall on or off.
Enhanced protection for web-based threats – Microsoft Security Essentials now integrates with Internet Explorer to provide protection against web-based threats.
New protection engine – The updated anti-malware engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities with better performance.
Network inspection system* – Protection against network-based exploits is now built in to Microsoft Security Essentials.
For Windows XP users: Please note that the network inspection system feature will not be enabled on Windows XP. This is because the network inspection system requires the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) in order to run, and WFP is only available in Windows Vista and Windows 7. However, if you are running Windows XP, you can still use all other beta features.
I’ve downloaded it.
I don’t like Betas but my previous experience with MSE’s first Beta (June 2009) told me that it’s quite reliable.
First impressions: stable; light (about 7 MB of RAM and CPU usage negligible); simple as usual (almost no differences to the interface).
Recomended.
It seems like they’re trying to get users to do 2 things, dump XP and use IE. It goes along with other things they’ve been doing lately like saying IE9 will not be available for XP and the same for the new version of Live Essentials. All of the good new stuff won’t work with XP.
Nothing wrong with IE8 on windows 7 its just as fast as firefox for me, but I also use dragon. I am waiting for IE9 to come out sounds like it will be great.
Nothing wrong with IE8 on XP either. It’s the only browser I use. Tried all the others , didn’t like any of them. I agree that IE9 sounds really good but I don’t like that it can’t be used in XP. Oh well, maybe by the time it launches , I’ll have a new machine with W7.
Well, IE is so full of security holes that it needs this extra protection from a security suite. Let’s face it. How many PC users do not uninstall IE even if they use something else? As long as IE is on the system it is a security risk, so if a piece of malware wants to use use IE, well, IE will be a bit better protected. So, it’s actually a good thing that the new MSE integrates into IE. It shows at least some initiative by MS to make it more secure. Just how much more secure remains to be seem, but it’s something.
I read in MSE's forums there are no plans to change that.
It's not a big, there are better ones then MSE :-TU
The one and only security program that microsoft got right was “Microsoft Steadystate” and that’s not available for windows 7 only XP and Vista. The alternative that they offered for Windows 7 is not as good(or at least equivalent of it)
This is total nonsense. IE8 is no more inherently insecure than any other browser. In fact, in it’s default installation, it is far more secure than any of the others in their defaults without things like addons. Look up the things that had the most vulnerablities over the last year. IE8 was behind a slew of third party apps and FF was on top, again. It’s the other browsers that need the help.
So, it’s actually a good thing that the new MSE integrates into IE. It shows at least some initiative by MS to make it more secure. Just how much more secure remains to be seem, but it’s something.