Microsoft Renames Beta AntiSpyware Pack "Defender"

[peat moss]

Microsoft has renamed its still-in-beta Windows AntiSpyware as "Microsoft Defender," a company official disclosed Friday, who also said that new spyware definitions would be pushed to users via Windows Update when the product goes final.

The new name, said Jason Garms, the group program manager for Microsoft's anti-malware team, "is about what Windows will do for customers, defending them from spyware and other unwanted software." Garms announced the new brand name on the team's blog.


We’ve always said we will provide visibility and control, as well as protection, detection and removal from other potentially unwanted software, including rootkits, keystroke loggers and more, added Garms.New anti-spyware signatures will be delivered using Windows Update, Microsofts one-stop update service for individuals and small businesses, and pushed to enterprises using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), he said.Defender will be part and parcel of Windows Vista, the next operating system from the Redmond, Wash.-based developer, and offered as a free add-on to Windows XP.

:source: Source: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=173500558
:view: Homepage: http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware/archive/2005/11/04/413700.aspx

[twisterX]

why?? Like who cares about the name. :lookaroun

The program better not be pushed with windows update or shipped with windows though.

It should be optional. ;)

[Izagaia]

If memory recalls, Microsoft entered into the anti-malware market to produce a "profit". And not to enter into a community service. Earlier articles all pointed MS into the direction of charging a subscription for it's use.

[twisterX]

No they said they would keep it free or else people wont want to use it and according to them will not be safe.

[Izagaia]

:unsure:

The last article, I had browsed on the subject, went the subscription route. Of course that was quite awhile back. Before Microsoft made that anal decision to allow a few specific malwares to slide by the applications quarrantine system.

I suppose that it matters little anyway. In the end, we are only going to receive what we pay for.

[4play]

I read an article about how the previous owner of software called windows defender was told to hand the name over to microsoft or prepaired to get taken to court.

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/09/138213&tid=109

[Yoga]

I have heard reports of microsoft planning to release a security suite with anti-virus for an annual subscription fee.

[Yoga]

Did microsoft confirm the release of vista yet