I was one of many users of Microsoft’s free Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) anti-malware bundle who received notification yesterday that Microsoft wanted to push to me a new version of MSE.
Microsoft prompted users of existing MSE releases (including versions 1.0.1407.0, 1.0.1500.0, 1.0.1610.0, 1.0.1961.0, or an earlier version) to upgrade on June 28. The upgrade — version number 1.0.1963.0 — was marked “Important” or “High Priority.”
(A quick refresher on MSE: MSE is Microsoft’s replacement for Windows Live OneCare and a superset of Windows Defender. Microsoft officials have said it is meant for consumers who are unwilling or unable to pay for security software.
There’s a more business-focused, paid version of this bundle, known as
Forefront EndPoint Protection (formerly known as Forefront Client Security), the latest version of which is
due later this year.)
There was basically no information in the accompanying
Microsoft Knowledge Base article about exactly what’s included in the new MSE update (but plenty of information as to how to click on the upgrade/download tab.