David Flynn11 June 2009, 3:29 PM
Free software will protect against malware such as viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans, but won’t be bundled with the OS.
Microsoft is readying a public beta of its free ‘Morro’ security software, which will replace the OneCare security suite pulled from the shelves two years ago.
Codenamed for a beachside village on the Brazilian island of Tinharé (and no, we don’t have the
faintest clue why), Morro is a stripped-down version of OneCare with a primary focus on detecting and defending against malware such as viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.
Morro gets its codename from this tiny beachside village on the Brazilian island of Tinharé
As a first line of defence Microsoft will rely on the firewall built into Windows 7, but to be protected by Morro customers will need to download the software due to concerns that anti-trust ruling would prevent Morro from being baked into the OS.
That’s good news for the large number of mainstream Windows users who don’t buy any form of security software to protect against the inevitable attacks. But it’s not so good for security vendors such as Symantec, McAfee and co, all of whom rely heavily on initial consumer sales and then annual upgrades.
After public beta the final Morro service is expected to debut by year’s end, although delaying the release until after Windows 7 has launched on
October 22nd would seem a strange move indeed...