Microsoft Security Essentials loses AV-TEST cert: (detects only 64% in Win 7)

[menotu]

By Simon Sharwood - Security -  30th November 2012

Microsoft Security Essentials, Redmond’s free antivirus tool for home users and business with up to ten PCs, can detect just 64 per cent of zero-day threats when running under Windows 7.

The Institute conducts tests bi-monthly and lists longitudinal data on software products’ performance.

During October the Institute rated Security Essentials 4.0 and 4.1 at just 1.5 out of 6 in terms of its ability to protect a PC, thanks largely to the 64 per cent zero-day detection rate being well below the industry average 89 per cent.

Security Essentials has lost AV-TEST’s seal before, with its September 2010 test failing to meet the lab’s criteria. It is the only one of 24 AV products for Windows 7 without the certification. Four products missed out for Windows Vista and two for Windows XP. Windows 8 AV tools are yet to go under the microscope and Microsoft is absent from AV-TEST's list of vendors thanks to the new OS' integrated protection software

While tests like these have no official standing, a look at AV-TEST’s longitudinal analysis of Security Essentials show it has consistently struggled to perform well in its malware detection and blocking tests.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/30/microsoft_security_essentials_loses_av_test_certification/

[Just17]

They produce the OS and it cannot protect itself ..... they produce an anti-virus to protect it and that fails too ......  where is the surprise? 

[Wildman]

They actually made it up to 64%  .....Really That high ....Oh Man  , thats a heck of an increase from 21.2% to 64%....oh wow, Keep on they might actually be able to claim ""Almost a Detector"" status

[YouCanToo]

Just another in the long line of quality products brought to you by MicroSUX

[ZX80Man]

Hey guys, in all fairness, reminding you about the ms/free, witch seldom go together.
So, in the maybe 1% win7 usage I do, I do use Security Essentials.  It is a little slower and has caught a few problems for me.
OK, sure it's not the best, but in the end, even with witch-ever anti virus one chooses to protect their $ms-os$ it still will likely fail, just because it is ms.
I try to never ever, go online without using PCLOS.