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Why Popular Anti-Virus Apps 'Don't Work'

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the build-a-better-mousetrap dept.

Avantare writes "ZDNet Australia has a writeup about why AV apps don't work. The reason given is because the malware authors are writing code that will get around the signatures of the application by testing their code on the most popular anti-virus software before release." This comes as a follow up to another article detailing the sad state of anti-virus software currently on the market.

2 of 375 comments (clear)

  1. No S**t by Instine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    AV software, and even most firewall software, which goes beyond port control simply prevents the user using the whole of the internet, but rarely stops the internet using them. This is just one reason why.

    Still an interesting point it raises, and a good example to give to none believers if you ever have to give the "Nothing is perfectly secure" speach to a client.

    --
    Because you can - or because you should?
  2. And they are both wrong. by khasim · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Think about it for a moment. What is the intent of anti-virus software ("anti" + "virus")? Isn't it to stop apps that you don't want running on your computer? Apps that were written by the "bad guys"?

    So, the reason that anti-virus software sucks is because the "bad guys" are writing BETTER "viruses" that can bypass the anti-virus programmers' software.

    And the reason for that is that anti-virus software is REACTIVE.

    A proactive system would patch the holes that are being exploited.

    A reactive system issues patches to remove all the specific threats encountered so far.

    That approach will ALWAYS result in the "good guys" being behind the "bad guys". Like DUH!!!