Microsoft has quietly released the latest version of its Security Essentials anti-malware software. For free, to boot.

Security Essentials 2.0 is available as a free download with several changes over the previous version. A Microsoft representative today confirmed the release.

Microsoft said the updated anti-malware engine makes the software faster and smarter at detecting security hazards. The software also now ties in with Windows Firewall, giving you the option of turning the firewall on or off. When I installed the 2.0 edition, it detected that Windows Firewall was not running and asked if I wanted to enable it.