'Microsoft Security Essentials' Is Most Used Antivirus Worldwide

[Resurrection]

Free Microsoft Security Essentials Is Most Used Antivirus Worldwide - Softpedia

-------------------

Microsoft Security Essentials is the most popular security solution worldwide according to a report by OPSWAT covering the second quarter of 2011, March 23 to May 15, 2011.

Microsoft’s free antivirus offered to users of genuine Windows operating systems including Windows 7 RTM and SP1, has been found to run on no less than 10.66% of the 43,000 computers around the world covered by the OPSWAT’s Q2 Antivirus Market Share Report.

Microsoft Security Essentials, now at version 2.0 which was released at the end of 2010, is a free, basic security solution that the software giant launched initially in 2009. The Redmond company’s only statistics about MSE made public reveal that the AV has long passed the 30 million downloads mark.

According to OPSWAT, the free version of Avira Antivir Personal comes in second place as most used antivirus worldwide with a share of 10.18%, while AVAST! Free Antivirus is third with 8.66%.

When it comes down to Worldwide Antivirus Vendor Market Share, things are a tad different however. Since AV vendors have more security offerings than Microsoft, they also have a larger market share.

“AVAST Software and AVG Technologies both top this quarter’s worldwide antivirus market with 12.37% each. AVAST shows a decrease from its leading 16.19% last quarter, which could be due to a shift in the percentage of data originating from various countries. Avira and Microsoft rank third and fourth with 12.29% and 11.24% of the market, respectively,” OPSWAT notes.

“Microsoft’s gain from last quarter could be attributed to the distribution advantage that Microsoft Security Essentials holds due to the convenient installation through Windows Update and its smooth integration with the popular IE browser.”

At the same time, OPSWAT’s report indicates that Microsoft is king on the North America market with a share of no less than 17.07%. AVG is runner up with 15.63%, followed by Symantec with 14.47%.

Once again, OPSWAT stresses that responsible for the market share growth of Microsoft Security Essentials is the Redmond company’s move to push the security solution through Windows Update

-------------------

That explains why so many people get viruses.

[fuzzy]

All the lab tests show that the security suite from M$ works quite well. It has been branded time and time again as being light but I've had some bottle-necking going on some older systems so I don't really recommend. As for viruses they buy a lot of signatures from other vendors - i know they used to buy from Bitdefender I don't really know how the situation is now, so they are quite up to date.
Hey at least it's free, so no complain there from users who don't like being on the bad side of the law.

[SomeGuy]

This is bad, because the virus-makers, when they know M$E is the most used, they'll focus on viruses that target it specifically, which will make it much more effective

[takomania]

^no need.

coders only focus on bypassing kaspersky, avira, nod, sonar and bitdefender.

bypass them, you bypass all.