Microsoft Security Essentials takes first place in North America

Emil

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Microsoft (17.07 percent), AVG (15.63 percent), and Symantec (14.47 percent) were found to be the top three antivirus vendors in North America, according to the latest quarterly antivirus market share report released by OPSWAT. Microsoft increased its market share from OPSWAT's previous antivirus report to surpass Symantec and become the North American leader. AVG held steady in the second position, and Symantec fell to third.

Worldwide, the top three antivirus vendors detected were Avast (12.37 percent), AVG (12.37 percent), and Avira (12.29 percent). Microsoft was fourth (11.24 percent), followed by ESET Software (9.98 percent).

The software company analyzed more than 43,000 opt-in reports from endpoints worldwide. The reports, generated by OPSWAT's AppRemover and Am I OESIS OK? tools, utilize the detection capabilities of the OESIS Framework to list the applications installed on the endpoint computer. The full 8-page document, titled Q2 2011 Antivirus and Instant Messenger Market Share Report, includes data on the leading antivirus vendors and products in North America and worldwide, Windows OS usage in North America and worldwide, instant messaging market share worldwide, and instant messaging usage in North America and Europe.

The rest of the data wasn't too surprising: Windows 7 usage continues to increase in North America and worldwide, showing a steady trend away from Windows Vista. In both North America and worldwide, Windows XP remains the dominant Windows operating system. The top three worldwide IM applications are Windows Live Messenger, Skype, and Yahoo! Messenger. The report does not, however, account for Web-based instant messaging services such as Google Chat or Facebook. This is because it only looks at installed applications, and those services run in the browser.

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Hardly surprising at all that the top four antivirus vendors all provide freeware versions of their AV products. I've previously used all four of them in my laptop and desktops and Avira currently runs in my XP SP3 machine while Avast is the only AV that I've tested which runs well in my old Celeron-powered HP laptop with 512 MB RAM.
 
I've been using MS Security Essentials for some time and I really like it. It has been the best anti-malware program I have ever used (and I've tried most of them). MS also make a Microsoft Safety Scanner which is a standalone version of MS SE that has helped remove things when another AV solution didn't.
 
MS SE sucks. I've had it overtaken by fake antiviruses multiple times. How can an antivirus program (especially made by MS) be overtaken by a virus? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
 
Well those are obvious numbers. I mean Symantec and AVG dont try to fool you into downloading any freeware while doing updates. I bet most of these MSE users dont even know they are running it.

Either that or they freak out and download it because it says "Security" and "Essentials" and its from Microsoft. At least thats been the case in the store I work in. I dont believe those are correct numbers until you take into account what I just mentioned.
 
I have tested AVG, Avira and Avast (Free Versions) and all these are very good antivirus. and I don't know why to pay for home users this functionality when "Free Antivirus Programs" work very well.

For Bussines users I have only found one free antivirus (almost as good as the previous): Comodo Internet Security, and this only that works on a Windows Server version.

I don't know about MSE for commercial use ?
 
NOD 32 (eset) here. Have used it since it was first available in the US. Never a problem.
 
I get big wig free antiviruses from Fry's. Free Kaspersky, free Panda, free McAfee, and free SpySweeper with Antivirus, all found in sale ads in the newspaper. I figure why not use the big names? My favorite is Kaspersky. Some of these I put on client computers and set and forget them. I tried MSE but found it's too difficult to have it ignore false positives. Bingo, the file is gone when it wants to delete it.
 
I used Norton up until 2007 when I started seeing a lot of problems. I switched to Kaspersky and ran it without an issue until I purchased a Win 7 machine, even then the 2010 internet security package worked very well. However this year I up Graded to Kaspersky 2011 and renewed my license with Kaspersky PURE. AFter that everything went to our favorite place in a hand basket. I have learned Win 7 does not give Kaspersky a compatability rating after Kaspersky 2010 internet security, but then neither does any of the packages mentioned about. Kaspersky is issuing me a refund and I am going to try Microsoft essentials.
 
MS SE sucks. I've had it overtaken by fake antiviruses multiple times. How can an antivirus program (especially made by MS) be overtaken by a virus? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
My God man, what unearthly s*** holes have you been visiting on the web...?
 
My God man, what unearthly s*** holes have you been visiting on the web...?

My thoughts exactly... You gotta be visiting some stupidly questionable places online to be getting these infections with pretty much all AV's.

As I've always said, if you have to visit these places, do it through a virtual Linux or Unix window - it makes life so much easier! :haha:
 
If you're working on a home PC and don't wanna buy any antivirus software then go for Microsoft SE, it's ultimate in its class. Otherwise ESET Smart Security is awesome with its protection and features.
 
Not surprised by these results, AVG still has one of the lowest detection and prevention rates among paid and free anti virus programs. The use of AVG as a Antivirus is still heavily suggested due the fact that a large portion of so called "tech" savy individuals as well as end users fail to realize that matter.

Why Avira is so heavily used I still fail to comprehend. Ads that bug you, slow scan rate, just issues out of the butt really. IMO its probably due to the large distaste that developed for Avast. A large amount of people disliked the 4.x versions of Avast. Wasn't able to pin point it to any certain issue but found the Anti Avast common.

Whats sad is I've encountered more Symantec systems heavily infected than avg systems. Symantec quality has gone down by far frankly. Heck I have encountered more Heavily infected Symantec systems than McAfee systems. We all know how amazing McAfee is lol.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a attempt at providing a free anti virus that is so simple it will be non intimidating to pretty much all users. I haven't personally tested the detection rates as well as prevention rates of this anti virus. If its anywhere close to the windows bitdefender than there is our example of a bad anti virus. I didn't even dare to test this anti virus out due to the simpleness of its design. Having my laptop as my only Personal Computer, I thrown that idea out fast lol.

Avast has its one share of issues. Personally I suggest avast to users and run it on all my home pc's as well. High detection rate, High Prevention rate, High Day zero detection/Prevention rates. Only three really annoying things I found is the sound of the anti virus updates, Registration would reset due to different matters, as well as some false positives. In my experience, 95 percent or more of users would no doubt not get a false positive with avast.

Reading between the lines of statics is needed in these matters. Statics rarely take into account the end user. A large amount of users will truly have no idea if they are infected. With so much malware in existence, a large amount not visible to the human eye, I highly doubt that even half of the users who state they haven't ever had issues with said anti virus programs really never had a issue. This and many other factors really just destroy the the quality of statics sadly.
 
My thoughts exactly... You gotta be visiting some stupidly questionable places online to be getting these infections with pretty much all AV's.

As I've always said, if you have to visit these places, do it through a virtual Linux or Unix window - it makes life so much easier! :haha:


Nah, visiting such places hardly is the cause of most infections. Worms seem to be the main issue these days. Always a worm bringing in all the other issues lawl. Normally just by going to simple so called harmless pages. A lot of people have gotten infected by just using Google search and clicking one of the links while trying to find information.
 
With all of that said, Scott, I disagree with you almost completely. But not in my usual argumentative way, rather in that most of what you've said runs contrary to my personal experience.

Avast died as a result of a Facebook download conducted by my annoying daughter in law, Avira was the only AV, (other than Norton), that allowed malware onto my computer. And AVG Free, (at least fore me), works like a charm. That said, I support it with "NoScript" in Firefox, which I think needs to be given a lot of the credit.

As to "clicking on links from a Google search", I would ask, "what were you looking for in the first place", as a potent diagnostic tool.

Anyway, porn surfing isn't anywhere near as risky a behavior as legend would have us believe either. You'll probably find far more computer diseases where the so called "decent people" congregate.

As to M$E, I use it on my pay bills and make the bills to pay computer. I haven't had any nastiness come from my shopping expeditions. (Running Win7, FF, and of course, "NoScript").
 
With all of that said, Scott, I disagree with you almost completely. But not in my usual argumentative way, rather in that most of what you've said runs contrary to my personal experience.

Avast died as a result of a Facebook download conducted by my annoying daughter in law, Avira was the only AV, (other than Norton), that allowed malware onto my computer. And AVG Free, (at least fore me), works like a charm. That said, I support it with "NoScript" in Firefox, which I think needs to be given a lot of the credit.

As to "clicking on links from a Google search", I would ask, "what were you looking for in the first place", as a potent diagnostic tool.

Anyway, porn surfing isn't anywhere near as risky a behavior as legend would have us believe either. You'll probably find far more computer diseases where the so called "decent people" congregate.

As to M$E, I use it on my pay bills and make the bills to pay computer. I haven't had any nastiness come from my shopping expeditions. (Running Win7, FF, and of course, "NoScript").

Well I was talking more so about the end user that really doesn't have a high level of technology knowledge. I mean most internet users are not technology people. I've had quite a few instances where someone obtained a virus by visiting one of the junk links that generally come up when doing any old search on Google. The ones you and I wouldn't be clicking on because we know they are not valid links. Just some died end link of sorts.

Heck I fully agree with you on the NoScript matter. If more people used NoScript then things would be a lot nicer for everyone. Fact of the matter is NoScript isn't as user friendly for non techy people. When I referred to the anti virus programs, I assuming that they would be the only protection. Internet Explorer, FF, or Chrome being the Browser with out NoScript lol. Heck match NoScript with just about any anti virus and you got one heck of a good protection setup.
 
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