Is Forefront Client Security suitable for Win2008R2 based workstation?

Question

What security software do you recommend for workstation with Win2008R2 ? I need to protect only this one workstation so there is no need to have tons of features that support managing other clients. Can Forefront Client Security be installed in a way it is client that protects one local machine without installing all server infrastructure? Wouldn't FCS be kind of overkill?

Of course I can try with some other vendors solution for Win7 security product or even something like Comodo Internet Security (free version) but since I have MSDN subscription I would like to take advantage of that.

Answer 1

The Forefront Security Team recently announced in September that Forefront Client Security is compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2. I have written an article on how to set that up:

1. Insert or mount the Forefront disc.
2. Open a CMD or Powershell prompt as admin.
3. Go to the following directory on the disc: \client\x64 (for x86 clients, just go to: "client")
4. Enter the following command: .\clientsetup.exe /nomom
5. Once it is finished, Forefront will report that there may be an issue or additional updates for the client DO NOT click on the link that will take you to a download page. The downloads it will give you will not successfully install.
6. Go to Windows Update to get all updates. It will download the latest service packs, hotfixes, and definitions for Forefront.

Enjoy!

Answer 2

Try Microsoft Security Essentials. It's almost the same thing as Forefront Client Security, only it's better suited for just one client; FCS would be a bit overkill. MSE is also free.

You might be interested in reading this article by Mary Jo Foley, over on ZDNet. Here's the part that you might be interested in:

While the core engine of MSE is the same as what’s in Forefront client, Forefront also provides security management capabilities that aren’t in MSE, such as group policy control, NAP integration and integrated host-firewall management. Unlike MSE, Forefront client is not free; Microsoft is selling the product for $12.72 per user or device per year, according to a chart on its Web site. (It’s not clear whether this also will be the price for the new version next year.)

Considering you're only using FCS for only one machine, you don't really need the extra features, so MSE is more than enough.