Computer Associates Offers Warranties

Kelvin D. writes, "Computer Associates has come up with a new angle to get consumers to buy its security software — a warranty with cash benefits if you catch a virus ($1,500) or get your identity stolen ($5,000). From the article: 'Users who want the identity theft coverage need to both install and register their copies of Warranty Corporation of America's Mobile Lifeline (included). No registration, no coverage.'" Moblie Lifeline includes something that sounds like a benign Trojan: it lets you retrieve or delete files from your stolen computer if it's ever connected again to the Internet.

Comments

Re:My boss would love this

[GotenXiao]

Stick a Linux LiveCD with AVG for Linux on it in the PC. Watch as AVG eradicates virus. Reboot.

Worked for me at i28 when I got a worm that would not die; AVG had blocked it from actually running, but something was keeping it there. Rebooted to my Linux partition, downloaded/installed AVG, worked a treat.

Re:question

[Em Adespoton]

Along with this thought... how long until someone steals your identity, and contacts them to collect the money (saying that YOU are the one trying to steal their identity)? Similarly, the virus angle looks more like they're offering a bounty on new viruses... much cheaper than them having to do the work themselves (but could also generate gobs of new viruses designed to cash in on the insurance).