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. ®