Hernan:

The Real World Protection Tests apply only to full security suites, not standalone AVs. I can only conclude that is why MSE (or Windows Defender, as it is re-badged in Win8) is not included. I think this is a fair decision. By comparison, AV-Test does pit MSE against complete suites, where as a standalone it does not fare well in protection tests.

There is no way AV-C could test all the custom-made suites some of us prefer to assemble (in my case, avast! Free AV, Outpost Pro firewall, and MBAM Pro for my XP system).

Norton, I believe, declined participation in AV-C tests a year or so back.

I've always trusted AV-Comparatives to provide reliable and independent testing, but lately they have changed their website and test formats, focussing more on suites than on standalone AVs. Possibly as a response to the increasing trend of major PC vendors to pre-install trial-ware security suites from their partners.

I will continue to "roll my own" security, but increasingly find it difficult to validate my choices of standalone programs.

Hernan: The Real World Protection Tests apply only to full security suites, not standalone AVs. I can only conclude that is why MSE (or Windows Defender, as it is re-badged in Win8) is not included. ... Norton, I believe, declined participation in AV-C tests a year or so back....

Thanks Joe for pointing that out.