Microsoft will ship Windows 8 with built-in anti-virus software.
That’s the big news that is no doubt being discussed furtively at the watercoolers of computer security companies around the world today.
What will it mean to them? A quick glance at Twitter reveals that some people already have pretty good ideas about how the news might have been received..
Microsoft announces Windows 8 has anti-virus/anti-malware built in. Loud screams are heard from Symantec/Norton and McAfee headquarters!
— Jason Hughey (@supascape) September 13, 2011
But seriously, is this good news for the existing anti-virus companies and – more importantly – consumers?
Microsoft has been making a free anti-virus software available for a couple of years, in the form of Microsoft Security Essentials. But you had to download it from the internet – it wasn’t bundled with Windows itself.
Microsoft has been bundling a program called Windows Defender with Windows 7, Windows XP and Vista, but it doesn’t really compare to a proper anti-virus product.
With Windows 8, it sounds as if Windows Defender will be beefed up to incorporate…
Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.
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