RE: Consumer Reports Slammed for Creating 'Test' Viruses

[Drsolly <drsollyp () drsolly com>]

On Sat, 19 Aug 2006, security curmudgeon wrote:

> On Sun, 20 Aug 2006, Drsolly wrote:
>
> : > Yep. I've not been totally uncritical of the industry ;-) but
> : > I think there's a very serious gap between what it's really
> : > like and how it's perceived. Can't do right for doing wrong. :(
> :  
> : Hey, you're right to be critical. But some of the criticisms I've seen, 
> : are totally unfair:
>
> "Totally" unfair? How can you say that about some of these?
>
> :  - They actually write the viruses
>
> There are cases where AV employees have written viruses.

Do you have instances you can cite? Of course, it's always possible to 
find a virus author who claims to be an AV author also - I mean, apart 
from such claims.
 
> :  - They hype up the problem
>
> No clue how you can possibly argue this point, i'd love to hear it.

It's simple - the problem is no smaller than the AV companies claim it to 
be. Sheck your in-box. I get emailed hundreds of malwares each week.
 
> :  - They deliberately rely on an update-needing technology
>
> Can anyone quote some stats for the AV industry on their income as far as 
> new product sales vs income from re-occuring revenue via 
> subscription/update services?

"deliberately rely on an update-needing technology" implies there's some 
other way to stop viruses that works as well, and doesn't need updating. 

 
> :  - They've had 20 years to solve the problem, and they haven't yet
> :  - They should employ virus authors because virus authors are all geniuses
>
> Both of these are very true as far as criticism leveled at the 
> industry, and very unfair. 

They haven't created World Peace either. They can't, because it's not a 
problem they can solve. Ditto the virus problem. All they can do is 
mitigate.

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