Users Flock to Microsoft for Free Software

In just one week after releasing a free version of its Security Essentials beta software, Microsoft said more than 1.5 million users have downloaded the application and is reporting some early results of threats hitting PCs on a global basis.

For example, in the U.S., trojans are the top menace, while worms are very active in Brazil, according to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center site.

The Security Essentials tool is aimed at taking the guesswork out of determining if your PC has been compromised by a virus, spyware or other malicious program. It works on the "green is good" approach, meaning that a green alert says you're protected. Yellow is a warning and red, of course, means you'd better do something before your system starts to act crazy or you're in danger of losing lots of good stuff. Microsoft describes it as an "install and forget" technology and it's available in eight languages.

If you want to check out how it works and how to manage it before you take time to download the free tool, click here for a video install clip and insight on scanning and fixing issues.

And if you do decide to use it, there's even a community forum to share insight and feedback on the software, with Microsoft wizards on hand to answer questions that might pop up.

If I've learned just one thing in nearly 15 years of using PCs, it's that the more security you can bring into the equation, the better. And hey, it's free, at least for now.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft