Microsoft Security Essentials helps protect your computer from malicious software (malware) such as viruses, spyware, and other potentially harmful software.

It offers two ways to help protect your computer from malware and other potentially unwanted software:

• Real-time protection. Microsoft Security Essentials alerts you when malware, spyware, or potentially unwanted software attempts to install or run on your computer. It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows settings.
• Scanning options. You can use Microsoft Security Essentials to scan for threats, viruses, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software that might be installed on your computer, to schedule scans on a regular basis, and to automatically remove any malicious software that is detected during a scan.

Collection and use of your personal information

When we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you, we will explicitly ask you for it. In the case of Microsoft SpyNet, by accepting this privacy statement, you agree to send reports to Microsoft (see below). The personal information that we collect from you will be used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized, and it may also be used to request additional information on feedback that you provide about the product or service that you are using; to provide critical updates and notifications regarding the pre-release software; or to improve the product or service (for example, bug and survey form inquiries).

Except as described in this statement, personal information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as answering customer questions about products or services, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Microsoft may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of the services; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public. We may also disclose personal information as part of a corporate transaction such as a merger or sale of assets.

Collection and use of information about your computer

This software contains Internet-enabled features that collect certain standard information from your computer ("standard computer information") and send it to Microsoft. Standard computer information includes certain information about your computer software and hardware, such as your IP address, operating system, Web browser software, and version. The privacy details for each Microsoft Security Essentials feature listed in this privacy statement disclose what additional information is collected and how it is used.

Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or service providers maintain facilities. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland.

Recommended settings in Microsoft Security Essentials

If you choose the recommended settings during setup, Microsoft Security Essentials real-time protection will be enabled and automatic scanning will occur weekly at 2:00 A.M. on Sunday.

Joining Microsoft SpyNet

Microsoft Security Essentials includes Microsoft SpyNet, Microsoft’s free online community, dedicated to reporting and stopping malware. As a “basic” member of SpyNet, Microsoft Security Essentials will automatically send information to Microsoft to help Microsoft determine which software to investigate for potential threats and to help improve Microsoft Security Essentials' effectiveness. The type of information that is sent in reports depends on your level of membership (see below). Information that identifies you personally (personally identification information or PII) is generally not included in the information sent.

You can change the recommended Microsoft membership setting (from basic to advanced and back) at any time by using the options provided in Microsoft Security Essentials. However, to continue using Microsoft Security Essentials, you will need to remain a member of this online community.

Security of your information

Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

For more information

If you have questions about this privacy statement, please contact us by e-mail or postal mail:

SpyNet
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052
spypriv@microsoft.com

Specific features

History

What this feature does: This feature provides a list of all malware or suspected malware that Microsoft Security Essentials detected on your computer and the actions that were taken when these programs were detected. The information displayed in the History tab is for items detected for all users - not per user.

Information collected, processed, or transmitted: A list of all malware or suspected malware that Microsoft Security Essentials detected on your computer and the actions taken on these items are stored on your computer. These lists include Microsoft Security Essentials activity for all the local users on the computer. The lists are sent to Microsoft as part of your basic membership in Microsoft SpyNet.

Choice and control: History lists may be deleted by the local computer administrator. By default, all items are displayed for all users. To allow only the local computer administrator to view all items, in the Settings tab, select the Advanced tab and clear the option "Allow all users to view the full History results."

Microsoft Update

What this feature does: Microsoft Security Essentials turns on automatic updating from Windows Update and Microsoft Update to help keep your computer current with updates to Windows and other Microsoft software. Microsoft Update is essential to providing you with the latest malware threat definition updates for Microsoft Security Essentials.

For more information about Windows Update and Microsoft Update, see the Update Services Privacy Statement at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkID=76234.

Automatic scanning for malware

What this feature does: Microsoft Security Essentials includes an automatic scanning feature, which scans your computer and alerts you if it detects malware. You can turn automatic scanning on or off and change the frequency and type of scans using the Microsoft Security Essentials Settings tab. You can also choose which actions are automatically applied to software that Microsoft Security Essentials detects during a scheduled scan.

Information collected, processed, or transmitted: A list of all malware or suspected malware that Microsoft Security Essentials detected on your computer and the actions taken on these items are stored on your computer. These lists include Microsoft Security Essentials activity for all the local users on the computer. The lists are sent to Microsoft as part of your basic membership in Microsoft SpyNet.

Choice and control: While not recommended, you can turn off automatic scanning using the Microsoft Security Essentials Settings tab.

Real-time protection

What this feature does: Microsoft Security Essentials's real-time protection feature alerts you when viruses, spyware and other potentially unwanted software attempts to install itself or run on your computer.

Information collected, processed, or transmitted: The list of programs on your computer detected by Microsoft Security Essentials and the actions taken are stored on your computer. These lists include Microsoft Security Essentials activity for all the local users on the computer. The lists are sent to Microsoft as part of your basic membership in Microsoft SpyNet.

Choice and control: While not recommended, you can turn off real-time protection using the Microsoft Security Essentials Settings tab.

Shell extension

What this feature does: Shell extension is a scanning tool, which lets you select specific files and\or folders and scan them using Microsoft Security Essentials.

Information collected, processed, or transmitted: A list of all malware or suspected malware that Microsoft Security Essentials detected on your computer and the actions taken on these items are stored on your computer. These lists include Microsoft Security Essentials activity for all the local users on the computer. These lists are sent to Microsoft as part of your basic membership in Microsoft SpyNet.

Choice and control: The shell extension feature is a manual tool that you can choose to use or not.

Microsoft SpyNet

What this feature does: The Microsoft SpyNet antimalware community is a voluntary, worldwide community that includes Microsoft Security Essentials users. Through Microsoft SpyNet, users can report malware and other forms of potentially unwanted software to Microsoft. Through Microsoft SpyNet, reports about malware and potentially unwanted software are sent to Microsoft. The type of information that is sent in reports depends on your level of Microsoft SpyNet membership.

Information collected, processed, or transmitted: Microsoft SpyNet reports include information about the files or programs in question, such as file names, cryptographic hash, vendor, size, and date stamps. In addition, Microsoft SpyNet might collect full URLs to indicate the origin of the file, which might occasionally contain personal information such as search terms or data entered in forms. Reports might also include the actions that you applied when Microsoft Security Essentials notified you that software was detected. Microsoft SpyNet reports include this information to help Microsoft gauge the effectiveness of Microsoft Security Essentials' ability to detect and remove malicious and potentially unwanted software.

Reports are automatically sent to Microsoft when:

• Microsoft Security Essentials detects software or changes to your computer by software that have not yet been analyzed for risks.
• You apply actions to software that Microsoft Security Essentials has detected.
• Microsoft Security Essentials completes a scheduled scan and automatically applies actions to software that it detects, according to your settings.

Reports might unintentionally contain personal information. To the extent that any personal information is included in a report, Microsoft does not use the information to identify you or contact you.

You can join Microsoft SpyNet with a basic or an advanced membership. If you choose the recommended settings during Microsoft Security Essentials setup, you join with a basic membership. Basic member reports contain the information described above. Advanced member reports are more comprehensive and might occasionally contain personal information from, for example, file paths and partial memory dumps. These reports, along with reports from other Microsoft Security Essentials users who are participating in Microsoft SpyNet, help Microsoft researchers discover new threats more rapidly. Malware definitions are then created for programs that meet the analysis criteria, and the updated definitions are made available to all users through Microsoft Update.

Occasionally, Microsoft might request a Sample Submission report. This report contains specific files from your computer that Microsoft suspects might be potentially unwanted software. The report is used for further analysis. You will be asked each time if you want to send this Sample Submission report to Microsoft.

To help protect your privacy, reports sent to Microsoft over an encrypted connection.

Use of information: Microsoft SpyNet reports are used to improve Microsoft software and services. The reports might also be used for statistical or other testing or analytical purposes, and for generating definitions. Only Microsoft employees, contractors, partners, and vendors who have a business need to use the reports are provided access to them.

Choice/control: Running Microsoft Security Essentials requires you to be a member of Microsoft SpyNet. You can extend your membership to an advanced membership, in which case you will be asked if you want to permit or deny changes made by software that has not yet been classified for risks. Basic members will not be asked to review changes by this software and the changes will be permitted. To change your Microsoft SpyNet membership, use the options provided in the Microsoft Security Essentials Settings.

Dynamic Signature Service Feature

The Dynamic Signature Service helps Microsoft Security Essentials improve its ability to identify (or rule out) potential threats. Using Dynamic Signature Service, Microsoft Security Essentials is able to check for the latest signatures, enabling it to:

• Verify in real-time whether a possible threat is an actual threat, and if it is, attempt to clean the threat.
• Determine "false-positive" situations on detected items that are not actually threats, and if a false positive is found, fix it.

Information collected, processed, or transmitted: A list of all malware or suspected malware that Microsoft Security Essentials detected on your computer and the actions taken on these items are stored on your computer. These lists include Microsoft Security Essentials activity for all the local users on the computer. These lists are sent to Microsoft as part of your basic membership in Microsoft SpyNet.

Choice and control: Running Microsoft Security Essentials provides protection over the Internet, thereby ensuring you are protected faster from potential threats.