June 23 - 1:45pm EDT   Microsoft on Tuesday officially launched the Security Essentials beta protection software for viruses and spyware that includes Trojans, worms and other malicious software. Previously known by the Morro codename, the software is available to download now and carries no associated costs or subscription fees with it. Microsoft also stresses the software's ease of use, with automatic upgrades and a security icon that, when green, indicates users are protected. [full story]

November 19 - 2:20pm EST   Microsoft late Tuesday took a step towards tightening security on Windows by announcing a significant expansion of its anti-malware efforts. The company plans to launch a new, free software suite currently nicknamed "Morro" that will replace the previously pay-only OneCare service and guard against spyware and viruses. The new project shares the same scanning and cleaning engine as OneCare and enterprise-grade apps but is billed as more focused, dropping "non-security" components like PC tuning and consuming less of the CPU and memory. [full story]