

The software itself has always been among the most easy to use and unobtrusive of all the suites we test, though. It still isn't as good as the best free and paid-for third-party antivirus packages, but it will intercept most nasties, where before it was letting a worrying amount of malware through the net.

While Security Essentials was previously very good at letting legitimate software run, it wasn't much cop at protecting your PC. Things haven improved in 2016, fortunately. READ NEXT: Our comprehensive guide to Internet Security Microsoft has previously admitted that the software should only be used as "baseline" protection, but its website makes no mention of this, instead claiming to be a "comprehensive" package. Security Essentials has previously scored well in our live threat-testing environment, but its performances last year made distinctly worrying reading for any clumsy internet users putting their faith in a trusted brand.
