Re: McAfee really DOES write new Malware! Wholey Moley!

[Nick FitzGerald <nick () virus-l demon co uk>]

Craig Schmugar on behalf of Dave Marcus:

> Mike,
>
> Let me address your concerns. We are NOT creating new malware nor
> are we showing others how to create malware. We are allowing our
> customers to get firsthand experience with existing malware and
> malware tools to educate them on what it is that is out in the wild
> hunting them and their users. This will be done in a secure
> environment with no connectivity. No one will be allowed removable
> media or storage devices. All malware and associated toolkits that
> we are using are currently detected and protected against. 
>
> Again, we are not teaching coding or teaching people how to write
> malware nor would we ever. We are allowing them to interact and
> experience malware in a controlled environment to get a better
> understanding of what we are protecting them and their users from. 

As I expected (well, at least as I _hoped_).

> Please feel free to contact me should you have any other questions
> or concerns. 

Well, he did, indirectly, through this list.

But there's a problem.  Above you told us what _you_ think this 
upcoming workshop will be about, what will be done, and how.  The 
_problem_ is that your comments do not address the actual text that 
gave rise to the question/commentary in the first place.  Specifically:

   Join experts from McAfee Avert Labs and have a chance to create a
   Trojan horse, commandeer a botnet, install a rootkit and experience
   first hand how easy it is to modify websites to serve up malware. 

_That_ is not at all much like what you say, above, that this workshop 
will be about, so who is right?

You?

Or the morons in marketing/PR who wrote the website copy?

Of course, we actually know the answer, so why are you acting so 
testicularly-challenged as to not point out that once again McAfee's 
marketing/PR folk have got the wrong end of the story and are promoting 
something quite unlike what they are actually "selling"?

I mean, we all also know that marketing/PR is very adept at such over-
selling, so whey are you acting so coy about pointing out the 
shortcomings of these folk?


Oh, and you've invoked the wrath of St. Neitzel...

   http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/malware-experience-brought-to-you-by.html



Regards,

Nick FitzGerald


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