Microsoft's Live OneCare placed last in a test on the effectiveness of anti-virus security packages by Austrian researchers.

AV Comparatives put 17 security packages through their paces to see how well they recognised a battery of nearly half a million items of malware.

Winner G Data Security's AntiVirusKit (AVK) identified all but 0.45 per cent of the sample against 17.6 per cent (86,600 of 497,600) that slipped past a fully updated version of OneCare.

F-Secure, Kaspersky Labs, Avira and AEC earned the Advanced+ rating in the tests alongside G Data. Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus detected 96.8 per cent of threats to earn an Advanced rating while McAfee's VirusScan posted 91.6 per cent detection, gaining it a rating as "standard". OneCare wasn't rated (does that mean its sub-standard? Ed).

AV Comparatives independent tests come weeks after a certification body declined to grant Microsoft's anti-virus product a seal of approval. Virus Bulletin, the independent security certification body, said that OneCare was among four anti-virus testing products that failed to reach the standard required for approval. McAfee's VirusScan anti-virus software also failed the tough VB100 certification process. ®

Related stories

Trend, Sophos and McAfee flunk Vista SP1 anti-virus tests (3 April 2008)
Win 2000 anti-virus products fail independent tests (4 December 2007)
Security researchers plot revamped anti-virus tests (10 October 2007)
False positives run amok in Vista anti-virus tests (3 August 2007)
The slow death of AV technology (8 June 2007)
Chinese user sues Symantec over dodgy updates (5 June 2007)
Norton's firewall not fiery enough (21 May 2007)
Rivals dismiss MS Forefront security push (3 May 2007)
Windows Defender spyware-blocking under fire (again) (20 February 2007)
Security watchers lambast Vista (5 February 2007)
OneCare slaps viral warning on Gmail (14 November 2006)
Targeted Trojan attacks on the rise (15 October 2006)
Security software: Microsoft accused of predatory pricing (22 June 2006)
Microsoft's OneCare virus eater goes live (31 May 2006)