BBC Technology News reports, that of the 500,000 virus samples used by AV Comparatives to test the performance of anti-viral software, Microsoft's offering detected only 82.4% of the samples, leaving systems protected by it, vulnerable to the remaining.
This is not the first time in the past month that OneCare has failed an external test, with Virus Bulletin reporting last month that the software had also failed to spot all the viruses used in their testing procedures.
Amongst the seventeen candidates included in the tests by AV Comparatives, which as an organisation, puts anti-viral programs through their paces on a quarterly basis, to determine their ongoing performance against new threats, OneCare was the only candidate to fail. Of the remaining candidates, an advanced pass or better score was awarded to 14, whilst 2 received a standard pass rating.
Microsoft, responding to news of the results, commented that whilst OneCare had been certified by ICSA Labs and the West Point Check system, it was examining the methodology of the tests, together with the results, to improve OneCare's performance in the future. The spokesperson added that Microsoft was aiming to 'determine whether any learnings from these tests can be used to improve our services as part of our ongoing work to continually enhance Windows Live OneCare to ensure the highest level of protection and service that we can provide our customers'.
