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Trend Micro Quarantines Letter P

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the unintended-behaviors dept.

kkenedy writes "I thought this was the funniest thing I have read in a long time: CRN reports that a bug in an update to one of Trend Micro's security products inadvertently blocks all incoming e-mail containing the letter P." Makes me glad I don't use it, else I wouldn't get any mail, purely on the basis of my surname.

6 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory joke by leomekenkamp · · Score: 5, Funny

    First ost, first ost!

    --
    Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
  2. Wachovia/1st Union blocks email with "hi" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wachovia has been blocking ALL email with "hi" in the title for almost 2 years now with no notice of what the problem is, just "rejected due to policy". But they do NOT view it as a problem even though they have around 25,000-30,000 employees. If only 1% are entitled "hi" and each gets maybe 10 emails a day, that is 2500-3000 emails blocked per day with no notice.

    Nice service from a BANK. Their tech department is pretty stupid.

  3. And...? Some Perspective Please! by vofka · · Score: 5, Insightful

    OK, so Trend issued a ruleset which blocks all mail containing the letter 'P' - one and a half hours later, they fixed the problem, which is pretty good going IMHO.

    I've been using Trend's Desktop solution (OfficeScan) at work for just over a year now, with no problems at all. Trend have a very good reputation for updating their rulesets very very quickly when a new virus hits the wild - for example in the case of "Love Bug" a couple of years back, they had a new pattern file available in less than 45 minutes, where other vendors took 24 to 36 hours.

    Since OfficeScan (and AFAIK, all the Trend Products) can be configured to automatically update their Pattern, Engine and Core files whenever a new version becomes available, that effectively means that all desktop PC's and Servers can be running with suitable pattern files before you even see any incidence of a new virus.

    People need to get some perspective on this issue - Yes, there was a problem, but it's fixed. Trend's product base is very stable, very fast and very effective. One small problem like this is just that: small !

    Disclaimer: No, I don't work for Trend - I'm just a very happy end user

    --
    Disclaimer: I meant what I thought, not what I wrote! What? You can't read my Mind? Oh dear!
  4. As someone who actually _uses_ eManager... by nbvb · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, the product has the potential for big-brother type thing (filtering mail, etc...) but we don't use it for any of that.

    #1) We use it along with Viruswall to block incoming viruses (It's a proxy that sits in front of Sendmail for us....) Works really well; we haven't had a virus outbreak in 2+ years. (Lousy Outlook!)

    #2) We use it to filter out Spam. I don't get _any_ Spam at my work address. At all. Very impressive if you ask me!

    Viruswall & eManager are pretty ugly pieces of code, but they do the job. We don't get viruses and don't get Spam, and that's why we use it. :)

    Having said that, this stop-the-P thing is a mess. I just checked our rulefiles, and we jumped from rulefile 914 to 920..... glad to see that ;)

    --DM

  5. You know you are a geek... by greppling · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...when the funniest thing you have read in a while is about a software update causing random e-mail loss...

  6. Obligatory Simpsons quote by pcaylor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mr. Burns: Okay, let's make this sporting, Leonard. If you can tell me why I shouldn't fire you without using the letter "E", you can keep your job. Lenny: Ah... okay...um... I'm a good work... guy... Mr. Burns: You're fired. Lenny: But I didn't say--! Mr. Burn: You will... (OPENS TRAP DOOR) Lenny: Eieeeee-e-e-e-e-e-eee!