Microsoft has launched a beta for next version of its free security software, Security Essentials, as per the blog post.

The corporation has enhanced performance of the antimalware engine, as well as its clean-up capabilities, written by a Windows communication manager at Microsoft. Security Essentials was launched in September 2009 and restored Windows Live OneCare, which corporation no longer sells.

Security Essentials will as well ask whether a user desires to switch on the firewall. An additional upgrading is incorporation with corporation's Internet Explorer browser, which LeBlanc said offers protection beside Web-based threats.

The software will as well now sense network-based threats, but just for Vista and Windows 7 OSes. It will not work on XP as the OS does not have Windows Filtering Platform, a set of APIs that allow software vendors filter and alter TCP/IP packets for configuring firewalls or other packet processing.

The limited beta is accessible in English, Hebrew and Brazilian Portuguese and will as well be accessible in basic Chinese later this year, LeBlanc wrote. It will be accessible on a fi-fo basis until all slots for beta are taken, he wrote.