REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 16, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that leading security providers are committing to delivering fully tested and compatible versions of their consumer and small-business security solutions by Jan. 30, when the Windows Vista™ operating system becomes generally available on new PCs and in retail stores around the world. In addition, today many independent software vendors pledged to deliver a wide range of innovative applications and services designed to further enable safer online experiences for families and home users in time for the consumer launch.
Throughout the development of Windows Vista, Microsoft has worked closely with security partners to provide technical support resources, access to application testing and compatibility labs, and developer training and certification programs. These efforts help industry partners provide consumers with numerous security and safety software and services to choose from to help make their computing experiences safer from the moment they begin using Windows Vista.
“A more secure computing experience, including protection from online threats, viruses and hackers, is more important than ever before, for businesses and consumers alike,” said Ben Fathi, corporate vice president of the Security Technology Unit at Microsoft. “Windows Vista is the most secure operating system we’ve ever built, and our security partners continue to play a vital role in adding layers of protection onto the Microsoft® Windows® platform. With all of us working together, we can help people feel safer and more confident when using their PCs.”
Windows Vista is built to provide in-depth defense against existing and emerging digital threats. Microsoft started by designing Windows Vista using the Security Development Lifecycle, an education, design and testing process that helps minimize security bugs in the operating system’s underlying code. New built-in security features such as Windows Defender, User Account Control, an improved Windows Firewall, Parental Controls, and Windows Internet Explorer® 7 Protected Mode and Phishing Filter provide additional layers of protection. Microsoft’s industry partners add the final layer by building security solutions on top of the Windows platform. Partner security offerings that are scheduled to be available on Jan. 30 include a range of anti-virus, anti-malware and family safety solutions.
Companies committing to the availability of consumer and small-business security solutions for Windows Vista by Jan. 30 include these:
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CA Inc.’s CA Anti-Virus 2007 provides protection against viruses, worms and Trojan horse programs that can invade through e-mail attachments, downloads, instant messages and the Web. CA Anti-Virus 2007 was one of the first security solutions available to Windows Vista beta users, providing anti-virus protection to more than 160,000 beta participants.
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ContentWatch Inc.’s top-rated Internet filtering software features a patent-pending, dynamic contextual analyzer that filters Internet content in real time. ContentWatch’s software also includes powerful remote management, monitoring and reporting, time management, and instant messaging management tools to help parents monitor children’s Internet activity — even from work or while traveling.
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GRISOFT, maker of AVG security solutions, has made available AVG Anti-Virus 7.5 and AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 in both commercial and free versions, as well as AVG Anti-Malware 7.5, comprising anti-virus and anti-spyware protection with full support for the Windows Vista operating system, downloadable at http://www.grisoft.com.
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IMSafer Inc. offers the first service to alert parents when their children are involved in inappropriate online communications, providing parental notification of language that may be indicative of a potential sexual predator, and enabling parents to anonymously share and view community feedback about contacts they think may be inappropriate. Support for Windows Vista includes all the existing IMSafer functionality, plus logging and reporting to the Windows Vista Parental Controls control panel and a freely downloadable wizard to help parents set up Parental Controls in Windows Vista.
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Kaspersky Lab will make available Kaspersky® Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security, offering premium virus, spyware, hacker and spam protection with anti-malware updates every hour and exceptionally low impact on Windows Vista systems resources.
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McAfee Inc.’s award-winning consumer software includes VirusScan Plus 2007; McAfee PC Protection Plus 2007; McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 with 8 in 1 protection for a consumer’s identity, PC and online experience; McAfee Total Protection 2007; McAfee® Wireless Protection 2007; McAfee SiteAdvisor, the world’s first safe search and browse technology; and McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus, which prevents consumers from browsing to risky sites.
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Microsoft Windows Live™ OneCare™ evolving, all-in-one PC care service will provide Windows Vista customers with unified, real-time anti-virus and anti-spyware protection and assist them with other important consumer PC protection and maintenance needs including data backup, the activation of anti-phishing protection (anti-phishing features require Windows Internet Explorer 7), automatic updates when they are online and the management of firewall policies when its latest version is launched on Jan. 30. Because OneCare is a subscription service, as new features are developed and released they will automatically be available to subscribers. The subscription service will be available at http://onecare.live.com and retail centers in the U.S. and 16 countries worldwide.
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Panda Software International is announcing Panda Antivirus 2007, the lightest anti-virus solution in the company’s consumer product lineup, which uses minimal system resources, and Panda ClientShield, a global protection solution for workstations in corporate environments. In addition, the company is announcing Panda Internet Security 2007 Identity Protect to help protect online transactions and confidential data.
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PixAlert, providers of intelligent image auditing and monitoring solutions for home and business use, has made its advanced PC protection and real-time image-monitoring solution, SafeScreen, available in Windows Vista. SafeScreen actively blocks unsuitable images from all sources (including the Internet, DVDs and cell phones), helping to protect the family from unwelcome content.
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SafeBrowse.com’s Safe Eyes parental control software, winner of PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award, provides a range of customizable features for Windows Vista, including content control, time limits and instant message monitoring. With Safe Eyes software, families can enjoy all the benefits of the Internet without the worry.
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Symantec Corp. today announced that the world’s first comprehensive transaction security solution, Norton Confidential, and the award-winning Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus, will be Windows Vista-compatible at the consumer launch date.
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Trend Micro Inc.’s Internet security with TrendSecure safeguards computers, home networks and personal identities. The comprehensive software and services help prevent malicious attacks and reduces time-consuming interruptions. TrendSecure, a set of online services, provides extended protection, at home or on the go. Trend Micro™ AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware offers essential protection against viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs and spyware.
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Addendum: Security Support for Windows Vista
“The enhanced security features of Windows Vista work hand in hand with CA Anti-Virus 2007 to help protect consumers from current and emerging Internet threats. This potent combination of protection features helps make our customers’ Internet experience safer and more secure than ever.”
— David Luft, Senior Vice President, Product Development, CA
“AVG is ready for the Windows Vista launch, and we are excited to be one of the first security software vendors to announce Windows Vista support to users globally. By our working together with Microsoft and in advance of the launch, customers will benefit with more secure features for a better PC and online experience.”
—Larry Bridwell, Vice President, Global Security Strategies, GRISOFT
“McAfee is excited to support its customers with Windows Vista compatibility. The threat landscape has moved well beyond traditional viruses, requiring consumers to have identity theft protection, safe search and browse technology, and protection from rootkits and stealth technologies. With our Windows Vista-compatible products, and the software-as-a-service model McAfee pioneered eight years ago, consumers are better protected from a wide range of threats 24×7.” —Marc Solomon, Director of Product Management, McAfee
“When the Windows Vista operating system and Windows Live OneCare PC care service are combined, they work better together to provide consumers with automatic protection and PC maintenance, so they can get the most out of their computers and help keep them running well.”
—Ryan Hamlin, General Manager, Technology Care and Safety Group, Microsoft
“With our Windows Vista-compatible versions of Panda Antivirus 2007 for home users, and Panda ClientShield for workstations, we aim to enhance protection against Internet threats from the moment users access the new platform.”
—Jaime Herrero, Director of Consumer Marketing, Panda Software International
“We are pleased to have worked closely with Microsoft during the beta program of Windows Vista by ensuring that customers receive reliable malware protection from our TrendLabs researchers. Windows Vista customers can rely on Trend Micro’s long-standing security expertise to help protect their systems, just as we’ve safeguarded users of Windows client operating systems for nearly two decades.”
—Lane Bess, Global General Manager, Consumer Products and Services, Trend Micro
“ContentWatch is pleased to work with Microsoft in offering a state-of-the-art parental control solution to Windows Vista customers. Both Microsoft and ContentWatch have a greater mission of keeping families safe online. Through our integration with Windows Vista parental controls, customers now benefit by having additional options to help protect their children and family members online.”
—Jack Sunderlage, President and CEO, ContentWatch
“We founded IMSafer because we felt there was a significant gap between how parental control software works and how kids use computers. Microsoft shared our concern and is bringing parental controls to the masses with Windows Vista. We were able use its parental control APIs to expand on the functionality Microsoft provides, to give parents more security when their children are using instant messaging and social networks to develop online relationships.”
—Brandon Watson, Founder and CEO, IMSafer
“We are delighted to be part of Microsoft’s Family Safety efforts that for the first time dramatically improves family protection by working at the operating system level. SafeScreen is ideally suited to work with Windows Vista as it helps prevent families from being exposed to unwanted images that are increasingly getting onto home PCs from the Internet, DVDs and cell phones. By using the most advanced screen interception and audit technology developed for the corporate environment, SafeScreen obscures pornographic images as they appear and also allows parents to scan their PCs and review and remove unsuitable material.”
—John Nolan, CEO, PixAlert
“With its proven, state-of-the-art parental controls, Safe Eyes will powerfully complement the Family Safety Settings features available on Windows Vista. Our two companies share a strong commitment to providing parents with the best tools to manage their children’s computer use and help keep them safe online.”
—Forrest Collier, Safe Eyes Creator and CEO, SafeBrowse
