Trend Micro Gives Away Windows Vista Security Pack

Security vendor Trend Micro on Wednesday followed the lead last week of a rival to launch a free Windows Vista version of its anti-virus software to protect users as they try out the new operating system.

A Vista edition of Trend's PC-cillin anti-virus program is immediately available for download from the Tokyo-based company's own Web site, and via a link on Microsoft's "Security at Home" site.

The free trial of PC-cillin 14.55 for Vista is valid through October 31, said Trend. However, Microsoft won't be releasing Vista until November at the earliest; recent clues seem to point toward an even later roll-out.

Microsoft just debuted Windows Vista Beta 2 at its WinHEC conference, but has yet to open the test edition to the general public. It has said, however, that it will do so "in the coming weeks."

Trend Micro isn't the first anti-virus company to link to Vista. Last Wednesday, Computer Associates provided its Vista-ready eTrust EZ Antivirus product in a free, 12-month trial. The program can be downloaded from here.