Microsoft Security Essentials 2 Download Available

Microsoft has just released Microsoft Security Essentials 2, the highly acclaimed free security program to protect the computer against malicious software such as viruses, spyware or computer worms. Users who are already working with a previous version of Security Essentials can upgrade that version directly to version 2.

But what's new in Security Essentials 2? It is probably heuristic scanning which tries to identify unknown threats by scanning for typical malware patterns on the system. It is also possible again to scan from Windows Explorer by right-clicking a file and selecting the Scan with Microsoft Security Essentials context menu item.

The official Microsoft Security Essentials website lists the following features as new in this version of the security program:

• Windows Firewall integration. Security Essentials setup enables you to turn on or off Windows Firewall.
• Network Inspection System. This feature enhances real-time protection by inspecting network traffic to help proactively block exploitation of known network-based vulnerabilities.
• New and improved protection engine. The updated engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities with better performance

Small businesses may like the fact that Microsoft Security Essentials can be installed on up to 10 PCs free of charge. Windows users can download Security Essentials 2.0 from Microsoft Download. The software is offered as a 32-bit and 64-bit edition. Please note that the program requires a genuine copy of Windows. (via)