Beginning in October 2010, Microsoft’s anti-virus protection suite, Security Essentials, will become available to small businesses on ten (10) or fewer PCs at no charge. The following link will direct you to the Microsoft press release:
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/Features/2010/sep10/09-22SecurityEssentials.mspx
Colden Company Inc. has tested this product and has been pleased not only with the protection that it provides but also with its minimal impact on system performance. While we have not always been fans of past Microsoft offerings in this space, we are not hesitant to recommend this particular offering. In addition, one of the top independent virus/malware protection software rating organizations, Virus Bulletin, awarders of the VB100 award, tested Security Essentials and gave it a positive review, further lending credibility to the product.
Some of you may ask what the difference is between Security Essentials and other free anti-virus programs such as AVG. The free version of AVG is designed for personal use and not to be used in a commercial environment. The following link brings you to the EULA (End User License Agreement) for AVG:
http://free.avg.com/us-en/avg-anti-virus-8-licence-agreement-eula
Most free software packages have similar restrictions. Microsoft Security Essentials is a rare product that does indeed allow for commercial use of its free product (up to 10 PCs). Our opinion is that it is a great product for small businesses to protect against the ever increasing number of threats from viruses and malware.
If you have any questions on this product or other security solutions for your business, please contact us at (518) 885-2857, info@coldencompany.com, or on Twitter @coldenco.