Published: October 24, 2009 12:00 am      

Tech G.P.: 'Microsoft,' 'free' can go together

I've said many times, in essence, that everyone using Windows should be running a program to protect against malware.

There is absolutely no excuse any more if you're not.

Although there have been free versions of anti-virus programs around for years, they have been far enough under the radar that it was understandable if someone didn't know about them.

Now Microsoft, certainly visible on everybody's radar, has recently come out with one that is free.

Yes, you heard me correctly. Microsoft and free. Both in the same sentence. It's called Microsoft Security Essentials, and you can download it at www.microsoft.com/Security’Essentials.

Actually, it's not the first Microsoft protection program, but it's the first time they've had one that was really worth using.

Of course, the other major anti-virus program vendors are pooh-poohing it, as you would expect, and their products may indeed be better, but after trying it out, I'd have to say it's not bad.

And it's waaaay better than not having an anti-virus program at all, or having an old one with an expired subscription which no longer gets virus definition updates.

And that, my friends, is why Microsoft came out with it. Not particularly to compete with other anti-virus vendors, but to protect the unprotected.

You might think "Gee, that was awful nice of them, wasn't it?" Go ahead and think that. That would be a side benefit for Microsoft, which is not used to being the subject of niceness.

The real reason Microsoft did it goes deeper. It's because the virus and malware situation has become so bad on the Windows platform that Microsoft is worried people will become reluctant to use Windows.

One of the reasons it has become so bad is because so many people's computers are unprotected against malware. Of course, these computers quickly become infected, and then these computers infect more computers, and so forth. So unprotected computers are a huge, huge problem.

For individuals and companies first, and indirectly, for Microsoft.

It has become so bad that there has been the beginning of a movement to entirely avoid using Windows for sensitive uses.

For example, one industry pundit, ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, says it's time to ditch Windows for online banking and shopping.

He says to use a bootable Linux CD, instead of running your usual Windows operating system, when you want to shop or do online banking. When you're done, re-boot into Windows, as usual, for regular surfing and e-mail.

So, by releasing this free software, Microsoft is hoping to reduce the number of unprotected machines, and therefore reduce the spread of malware. They're doing it to protect their Windows franchise.

Oh, well. So much for niceness.

Anyway, if you don't already have an anti-malware program (I use the terms virus and malware more or less interchangeably, although technically they're different), and/or your program isn't current in it's virus definition subscription, please get the free one from Microsoft.

Or, if you prefer, try one of the other programs you can get for free.

There are several companies that let you use a slightly downgraded version of their mainline anti-virus programs for free, in the hope that you will like it and want the extra features offered in the for-pay version, and then upgrade to that.

Sometimes you have to poke around their websites quite a bit to uncover the free version, but it's worth it.

A couple companies that come to mind are Avast! and AVG.

Or, if you prefer a more well-known name, now you can get Microsoft's program.

But please use something, for everyone's sake.

Bruce Endries is former systems manager at The Daily Star. He can be reached by e-mail at techgp@dailystarmail.com.