Curiouser and Curiouser! on viruses http://matt.blogs.it/ RSS feed for topic viruses Copyright 2006 Matt Mower Squib/0.1 self@mattmower.com self@mattmower.com en-gb I'd love to be certified virus free Wed, 27 Aug 2003 19:09:29 +0100 <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <P><STRONG>Doesn't anyone use anti-virus software?</STRONG></P> <P>I've received more than 1,000 messages from people spawned by the <A href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&ncid=581&e=5&u=/nm/20030825/tc_nm/tech_internet_virus_dc">Sobig virus</A>. The happy note is it is almost all from spammers who are revealing their actual address, which creates all sorts of opportunities for fun. But, seriously, there are applications that can stop this. </P> <P>Or, one could use a Macintosh. People chuckle about the Mac, but not being a major target of opportunity for virus writers is a big plus.</P> <P>[<A href="http://www.ratcliffe.com/bizblog/">RatcliffeBlog: Business, Technology & Investing</A>]</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P>Some of us would love to be running AV software but have trouble doing so.&nbsp; I now have a brand-new shrink wrapped copy of McAfee Virus Scan (bought&nbsp;even though the eval version wouldn't install -- i'll hang my data out to dry before I give Symantec another red eurocent)&nbsp;sat on my desk waiting to be installed.&nbsp; But I can't do that until I have safely uninstalled my non-upgrading NAV2002.&nbsp; Who knows how hard that might turn out to be..?</P> http://matt.blogs.it/entries/00001596.html Why Anti-virus vendors can act this way Thu, 09 Oct 2003 06:23:48 +0100 Just reading a recent <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/issues/daily/20031008.html">GnomeREPORT</a> about one users battle with their anti-virus provider.&nbsp; It sounds a lot like my recent struggles with Norton Anti-Virus 2002 which lead to me ditching Norton, completlely rebuilding my laptop OS and installing another product <span style="font-weight: bold;">swearing never to do business with the scum suckers at Norton/Symantec again</span>!<br> <br> I'm now reasonably happy using McAfee Virus Shield.&nbsp; So who do you think is the antagonist in this latest saga?<br> <br> Okay an observation.&nbsp; Anti-virus software companies have realised that they can act like unmitigated shits to their customers because:<br> <ul> <li>All customers must have virus software, it's no longer optional.<br> </li> <li>There are only 2 name brands.</li> <li>We make the software impossible to remove properly.<br> </li> </ul> I'm happy enough with McAfee even if their on-access scanner is a CPU hog at times (but no worse than Norton Firewalls occasional habit of just jumping to 100% CPU for no apparent reason), however I have a feeling that I won't be come upgrade time.&nbsp; I do hope that Sophos can get their act together, home consumer wise, by then!<br> http://matt.blogs.it/entries/00001665.html I'm feeling frustrated so I guess it must be anti-virus software renewal time again. Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:23:38 +0100 I've written before (<a href="http://matt.blogs.it/2003/08/24.html#a1099">here</a>, <a href="http://matt.blogs.it/2003/08/11.html#a1069">here</a>, <a href="http://matt.blogs.it/2003/08/26.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://matt.blogs.it/2003/10/09.html#a1165">here</a> where I am prophetic about my current situation) about my many trials with anti-virus software.&nbsp; But the moment I had been dreading is here: My McAfee anti-virus subscription is about to run out.<br> <br> As an aside I will say that, so far, McAfee has been good.&nbsp; If it hasn't caught any viruses at least I haven't thought I had any.&nbsp; It's been relatively unobtrusive even if the on-access scanner is demanding from time to time.&nbsp; It also transparently started scanning my PocketPC device when I first set it up.&nbsp; I guess you could say I've been happy with it.<br> <br> But that time is over, gone, in the past.&nbsp; I know this because, at least once per day, McAfee pops up to warn me that my subscription is about to run out.&nbsp; I have a month left it says and offers me a <i>Purchase</i> button to renew my subscription and a <i>Cancel</i> button to go about my lawful business without let or hindrance.<br> <br> Mindful of previous horrors (which might well have done for Dexter Ward or Randolph Carter) I have spent a few days hitting cancel and putting off the inevitable <i>confrontation with evil</i>.&nbsp; But, today, the pressure became too great.&nbsp; I <b>had</b> to know.<br> <br> I had many expectations:<br> <ul> <li>That I would be taken to some labyrithine website never to find the link I was after.</li> <li>That I would be goaded to purchase McAfee anti-virus 2005 or any number of&nbsp; more expensive internet security products.</li> <li>That I would be unceremoniously dumped with a 404 after submitting my credit card details.<br> </li> <li>That I would be forced to transact in Zloty, Kwatcha, or Yuan.</li> </ul> But no.&nbsp; I realise now that these were all too predictable, <i>amateurish</i>.&nbsp; This time they have been even more devious -- the purchase button doesn't do anything at all!<br> <br> I swear they make these products difficult to upgrade on purpose.&nbsp; I think it's interesting that, each year, McAfee and Norton come out with exactly one new version of their anti-virus product which not only has to compete with other products but also with "upgrade last years product" and that is likely to be a cheaper option.<br> <br> I hate anti-virus software and the companies that produce it.&nbsp; It feels like car insurance.&nbsp; I have to pay for it because I'm afraid of what will happen if i don't.&nbsp; I also feel like these companies pray on that feeling.<br> <br> I'd love to find a good anti-virus product from a friendly company I could trust.&nbsp; Maybe Kerio (whose Personal Firewall product I just bought)?<br> http://matt.blogs.it/entries/00002442.html