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Symantec Brings Complaint Against MS to EU

Posted by Zonk on from the can't-they-dominate-anything-anymore dept.

linumax writes "Symantec has made a complaint against Microsoft to EC anti-trust regulators over the software giant's entry into the security market. The "informal" complaint allows the Commission to consider whether or not an anti-trust case is merited. The Commission is the executive branch of the European Union (EU)." From the article: "The news comes on the day Microsoft announced plans to begin offering business users an integrated anti-virus and anti-spyware product called Microsoft Client Protection. A beta version of this product is expected to be released by year's end. The company is already offering some customers a beta version of its Windows OneCare consumer security software. At issue is Microsoft's plan to bundle its security software with Windows Vista, the next major version of the Windows operating system due next year."

7 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Cry me a river.... by David+Horn · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'd feel more sympathy if Norton Internet Security 2005 didn't break everything it touched.

    --
    PocketGamer.org - For the gamer on the go!
  2. Re:Mafia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Computer problems are result of:
    1. Hardware problems
    2. Software problems (including OS)
    3. User Behavior/Error

    For the most part, today's systems usually are hardware error free.

    The problems with anybody running a MS OS and app is the generally the fault of MS.
    Having to run 'protection' packages on an OS is a mark of a crappy OS in the first place.

    I though that when 'First Aid' was available for Win 3.1
    WTF was that!?! A program to make sure programs ran correctly?

    I can understand a 'wizard' program to assist the user (#3) but to run software to make sure programs run the way they should is shoddy programming.

    MS is and always has been a 2-bit software company with a top notch marketing department.

  3. NIS2005 is broken, as i Symantec support by Daath · · Score: 3, Informative

    I agree with you there! NIS2k5 is the scum of the earth - I dedicated an entry on my blog to it.

    --
    Any technology distinguishable from magic, is insufficiently advanced.
  4. You confuse "virus" with "trojan". by khasim · · Score: 5, Informative
    Well, the fact that the users are broken as well.
    Partially correct.
    If linux users ran every funny program that dumped into their inbox or came across on some shady site, they'd be equally screwed.
    Nope. You are only considering trojans.

    While it is correct that the majority of current infections are via trojans, they are not the only problem. Ubuntu handles the issue of worms by just not running any open ports in a default installation. So Ubuntu will not be hit with anything close to Slammer or Blaster.
    However you want to tell me the linux security model helps, it doesn't.
    You are wrong, it does help.
    If people were used to sudo as root to install something, they'd install this. If they had to chmod programs +x, they'd chmod this too.
    SOME people would. But that's because system security is bound by human stupidity.

    But the people who are currently being infected because they double-clicked on "sexy.jpg" which was really "sexy.jpg.exe" would have to go through a LOT more effort to accomplish the same on Linux.

    #1. Save the attachment. (extra step)

    #2. Find where they saved it. (extra step)

    #3. chmod it (extra step) warning

    #4. Double click it.

    #5. Give sudo password. (extra step) warning

    So, all of a sudden, all (99.99%) of the *.jpg trojans are dead. Which means that you have to convince someone to actually run an app on their box, which they know is an app. Some people will still fall for that, but not as many as fall for the .jpg ones.
    Anti-virus is a fix for broken users, not broken software.
    Nope.

    In a correctly designed system, the user will KNOW that s/he is running an app (not thinking it is a graphic) and be ASKED for additional authorization.

    And that only matters with trojans. Viruses and worms are few and very, Very, VERY far between on Linux systems.
  5. Re:the poop factor... by kinkie · · Score: 2, Informative

    You're forgetting that Symantec recently bought Veritas, which makes filesystem, clustering solutions for Unix and Windows, and has a very healty backup business, and which in turn had not-so-long-ago acquired VMWare. Those are quite heavy-sellers in the enterprise market.

    --
    /kinkie
  6. Re:Mafia by Mistshadow2k4 · · Score: 2, Informative

    You don't actually know that much about viruses, do you? A lot of people make the assumption that the only way Windows gets a virus is for the user to install it. WRONG. Even the script-kiddies know how to code a better virus than that. Many viruses download themselves straight into Windows, even going through firewalls like Sygate and ZoneAlarm, without the user ever clicking any "ok" or even knowing when it happens. How? Because Windows is set up that way - anyone on another computer somewhere can do a great deal to any Windows computer. Using an alternate browser like Mozilla (and disabling software installation) helps, but the real problem is, Windows is coded in such a way that it's easy to affect changes to it from outside the operating system. It was all written so that the user has no real control over the operating system, unlike, say, Linux and BSD.

    --
    I dream of a better world... one in which chickens can cross roads without their motives being questioned.
  7. Re:the poop factor... by Osiris+Ani · · Score: 2, Informative

    Yes indeed; EMC - not Symantec - owns VMware.