Microsoft to Ship New Malware Protection Utility

LadyDarth writes "Microsoft introduced on Thursday a new program called Client Protection that will help to combat viruses, maiware and spyware in the corporate environment. Paul Bryan, product management director in the enterprise security division at Microsoft, said in an interview with BetaNews Wednesday night that Client Protection's aim is to 'make sure people have fewer security products' to concern themselves with. Responding to concerns that it was stepping on its partners toes, Bryan admitted that Microsoft has 'knowledge and an understanding of the capabilities of the operating system' that its partners may not have. But he said that information would not be hidden."

Comments

Always with the bad grammar

[Anonymous Coward]

That should be "Microsoft to Ship New Malware, Protection Utility".

Re:Always with the bad grammar

[jokestress]

I think there's a typo, too: "Microsoft to Ship New Malware, Protection Futility."

Annother Teling quote

[temojen]

Client Protection's aim is to 'make sure people have fewer security products'

Sounds like a monopoly practice to me.

Re:Great...

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly. Microsoft will always be behind the eight-ball when it comes to spyware protection because of its corporate nature. It will always put profit before protection.

Some people may claim that Microsoft still allows users to remove the Claria software. For example:

Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) continues to notify our users when Claria software is found on a computer, and it offers our users the option to remove the software if they desire.

However, the issue here is not whether or not Windows Antispyware still detects Claria products...the issue is Microsoft's recommendation on said products. While it is true that users still have the option to remove Claria products if they so choose, the fact is that users had the option to keep Claria products on their system back when Microsoft was recommending removal. The insinuation that this change offers users more choice than previously available is tacitly false.

The real issue here is Microsoft abusing their position of trust within the general computer user community. No, I'm not talking about people like us here...I'm talking about Ma and Pa Computer User...the ones who see a virus or spyware warning and panic. Many of these people rely upon the recommendations offered by the spyware detection/removal applications to decide on how best to manage their systems. By artificially upgrading Claria products from 'remove' to 'ignore', Microsoft is taking unfair advantage of these users' trust.

Also claimed:

All software is reviewed under the same objective criteria, detection policies, and analysis process," Microsoft claimed. "Absolutely no exceptions were made for Claria.

As far as I'm aware, no other spyware removal application has promoted Claria products in this fashion. Until Microsoft publishes these 'objective criteria', and shows how Claria products managed to get upgraded from 'remove' to 'ignore' under them, we will have no choice but to assume more ulterior motives.

Re:can't make up his mind

[geekoid]

No no, it's not hidden, it's in the basement...with the broken stairs..and no light, in the cabnet marked 'beware of tiger'.

Re:Instead of protection, how about a better OS?

[QuantumG]

This comment, and others like it, are completely lame. It is possible to use Windows securely, but most people don't. This isn't Microsoft's fault. You can just keep repeating an argument made by people 10 years ago as if it still applies to today.

Re:Instead of protection, how about a better OS?

[DrEldarion]

Agreed! I've run DOS 5, Win 3.1, Win95, Win98, Win2k, and now WinXP, and I haven't ever picked up a virus or spyware. Up until about a year or so ago, I used IE exclusively, too. Use your computer intelligently, and you shouldn't have problems.

Bad users will find a way to screw up any system, regardless of OS. (Barring, say, a C64)