Microsoft Security Essentials arrives for small businesses

I’ve been using Microsoft Security Essentials for more than a year, since the earliest beta builds. All of the PCs in my house run it, and it protects my home business.

I recommend it to my clients and friends. I even rewrote several big chunks in “Windows 7 All-in-One for Dummies” to vouch for Microsoft Security Essentials over any other antivirus product. It’s that good.

The big problem with Microsoft Security Essentials? Although it’s free for personal use, Microsoft has had no method for companies to get with the system. (One exception: The Microsoft Security Essentials license allows installation “on your devices in your household for use by people who reside there or for use in your home-based small business.”)

Until now — effective this week, Microsoft officially allows small businesses to download and install up to 10 copies of Microsoft Security Essentials for free. The only requirement is that you have legal “genuine” copies of Windows, including Windows XP — which is more than you can say for Internet Explorer 9. Microsoft Security Essentials works great on XP, too.

Most people don’t realize that Microsoft Security Essentials has a user interface; they just install it, then forget about it until a message pops up saying it’s saved their bacon. If you’re running Microsoft Security Essentials, you might find it instructive to open the program from the Start menu or the icon down in the notification area near the system clock. Choose the Settings tab. There you’ll find options to set a restore point prior to scans or enable scans of removable drives during full scans. You can also exclude specific files or file types. You can review your PC’s scan history as well.

If you’re looking for a big, all-encompassing anti-everything package with an integrated outbound firewall, website sniffer, hand holder, Swiss Army Knife sharpener, and floor sweeper, look elsewhere. Microsoft Security Essentials is small, fast, unobtrusive, effective, and focused on antimalware. It’s also free, and it won’t exhort or extort you for more money or resort to scare tactics to separate you from your shekels, unlike several other applications I could mention.

Yes, you can buy Forefront, Microsoft’s big-company client security system. But for small-business owners, small nonprofits, and groups that can’t afford full-time security staff, the lack of a Microsoft middle ground left few options other than the monster packages.

Additionally, independent testing organization AV-Test in Germany has certified MSE in its most recent report, with solid scores in all categories and particularly high marks for usability. Compare that with McAfee and Trend Micro, which didn’t earn certifications in the same study.

InfoWorld’s J. Peter Bruzzese offers an excellent overview of Microsoft Security Essentials on his blog. If you haven’t used Microsoft Security Essentials, it’s worth a read.

This article, “Microsoft Security Essentials arrives for small businesses,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog.