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Microsoft has also announced ‘PC Reseller & Authorised Service Agents’ programme, which will help make PCs across India safer.

Microsoft's campaign aimed at the large number of Windows XP users is focused on providing a suite of free and comprehensive cutting-edge software including Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) and Internet Explorer 8 (IE8).

Microsoft has also announced 'PC Reseller & Authorised Service Agents' programme, which will help make PCs across India safer. Through the programme, Microsoft is reaching out to PC organisations and resellers across the country, whereby close to 20,000 field engineers will educate and facilitate a safer computing experience for consumers at their doorsteps.

Shifting to a new XP
Windows XP SP2 is being phased out in July 2010, so Windows XP users will have to migrate to SP3 to ensure they are not exposed to security threats and continue to receive all the important free security updates and fixes from Microsoft. Windows Service Pack 3 is the latest Service Pack for Windows XP and contains all previously released security updates and features.

IE8 comes with smartScreen filter, domain highlighting, InPrivate browsing and InPrivate Highlighting to make browsing secure.MSE detects, blocks and removes viruses, spyware, trojans, bots, worms and other malicious software utilising features such as Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) and Update Tuesday. It's free to download.

Free Norton protection
Norton from Symantec has unveiled the 2011 beta versions of Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security, which are now available for free download from the Norton beta website. Additionally, the company launched its first beta security application for Facebook and two standalone security tools to address the increasingly common menace posed by fake antivirus programs and other infections.

Download Insight 2.0 increases the breadth of the product's reputation protection by applying it to every download regardless of the client (browser, email, IM).Additionally, Norton 2011 uses the reputation information to report on the "trustworthiness" of files on a system and help users understand if their download behaviour is more or less risky versus the 53 million Norton Community Watch members today.

Norton Safe Web application for Facebook is a free beta application protects computer users by scanning their Facebook news feeds for malicious URLs, allowing them to identify risky sites before clicking on them.OnlineFamily.Norton, a free web-based service, keeps parents updated on their kids' online lives.

The beta is available for free public download now at: www.norton.com/nis2011beta or www.norton.com/nav2011beta . Norton beta testers can also discuss their product experiences at the Norton Public Beta Forum online.