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A Bad Week for Symantec
Evan Hughes writes "NeoSmart Technologies has published a scathing editorial regarding 3 high-profile mistakes by Symantec Corp. — all in less than a week. In what seems to be a string of stupid mistakes culminating in the infection of CNN-parent Turner Broadcasting Systems by Rinbot— a virus dedicated to the eradication of Symantec from the known world."
NeoSmart Technologies has published a scathing editorial regarding 3 high-profile mistakes by Symantec Corp. -- all in less than a week
Maybe they're not mistakes... maybe it's just a form of viral marketing.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
....in my experience modern Symantec products such as Norton Internet Security is the most malicious, but successful form of malware ever. It actually gets people to pay money for the product, and in a lot of cases, pay other people to install it and keep it on their system.
I'm so glad I moved out of software maintenance and into hardware maintentance. Now I just wipe harddrives clean as a whistle and make sure the hardware works. Such a load off!
do() || do_not();
Every experience I have ever had with a Symantec product has been utterly terrible. Generally they cause more problems than they solve.
Turner apparently got hit because it had not yet updated the Symantec programs on its computers. A fix for the flaw has been available since May and security experts have repeatedly urged users to protect their computers by applying the update.
Hmm hmm hmm people are dumb.
webpage
Furthermore, doesn't Free AVG only update once a week as well?
If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.
a virus dedicated to the eradication of Symantec from the known world
That's not a virus. That's a feature.
Best Windows Freeware
because CNN is infected?
1. Estimates are 100-150 million machines are currently part of botnets
2. Loss estimates exceed 200 billion annually on a global basis
3. Over 80% of all spam comes from botnets
Yes, I can cite. Or you can Google. They are all easy to find.
This is a HUGE problem that is, in many ways, like spam was in 1996 or 1997. The technical community acknowledges it, the average consumer has no clue, and, left unaddressed the problem and associated looses will get much, much worse.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
Since we're talking about Windows machines, I can tell you for certain which comes first.
the kind that crash servers, it is not like they haven't done it before, but for most purposes I agree with you. In a large scale environment with lots of custom apps. you had better be checking these patches prior to general deployment or you WILL get bitten...*speaks from experience*
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
A virus dedicated to the eradication of symantec? Sign me up! ...I suppose I'll have to turn off AVG first...What then?
-- David
That's funny...I've got an "always on" setup of Linux Unix, and MacOS X and I've never experienced an issue.
;)
Then again...I did once! It was when I was running Windows 2000. Someone rooted my Hotline Server and deleted all my files
JB
People often don't update their software for years at a time. Hey, it costs. Which is why NAV is designed to update itself automatically. You just have to configure it correctly.
I'm no fan of Symantec. It's perfectly true that they're badly run. Hey, they used to be a lot more than a "security software" company, but all their other business (natural language databases, compilers, IDEs, desktop software, backup software) just died on them. But to blame them for the ineptitude of the CNN's IT department is idiotic.
But they(Symantec) update their signature files almost daily, that means they haven't updated their systems signatures in months. Thats just asking for problems. I mean if they were burned, why not test it offline to see? But to risk a high profile company because maybe you will get burned? I think that is a lack of responsibility on the IT dept. side.
We're chucking our desktop firewalls, spyware tools and AV scanners for one big Symantec managed client. And if any of you have ever tried to uninstall Symantec you'll know that you're chained to them for life.
Perhaps. McAfee had a problem once where they were identifying Excel as a virus, but I've never heard of Symantec having such a problem. More likely, the CNN IT staff is either incompetent or just plain stupid.
Also, if they had been burned by Symantec, they should have gone with another vendor's product. A company like CNN not having up to date AV software is inexcusable.
How bad does it have to be for people to Stop using windows?
when the OS let's Steve ballmer and Microsoft know when you are in the shouse so a guy can show up dressed as clippy and forcibly anal rape you.
Yes, it will have to get that bad before the sheeple out there actually switch.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Seconded. The only time I get reboots is when it's required for a security patch, or the occasional "application freaking the #$@%^& out" kinda thing...servers, workstations, all of 'em. And if it weren't for that, I'd be pushing 90-120 day uptimes on most of my machines. Yes, Windows machines.
In fact, I'll get you the data.
Main server has rebooted twice in the last four months for security patches, total ~19 minutes downtime.
ACs are modded -6. I don't read you, I don't mod you, I don't see you. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
Symantec has seen quite a bit of negative publicity in the past year on slashdot.
I have to wonder how much of it is simply astroturfing by disgruntled former employees? When there's a negative op/ed piece on a "software development and security research" website where none of the SQL even works, I just have to wonder if some no-talent assclown is pissed off because he lost his helpdesk or HR job.
Whenever I have to fix a screwed up PC, MsAfee or Symantec is disabled by the malicious code. So, I always uninstall whatever is on the machine and install something else like AVG or ClamWin.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
Windows is pretty damn good nowadays, but my Linux web server only goes down when the ISP has a power problem. That happens about once a year. In four years, the machine rebooted 5 times and never once due to Linux.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
... Every machine that comes to me for service has one requirement: No Norton. Take norton off, and people are *amazed* at how much faster their machines run.
I substitute Free-av.com for Norton- better infection detection, less memory overhead, free (with the option of buying a license- I usually guilt them into doing it), and nightly upgrades.
The reason Windows has so much malware problems is because it's the most common operating system used, therefore it's in the best interest of the malware developers to write malware for Windows. If the most popular operating system was OS X, then OS X would have the most malware problems. The same goes for Linux or .
Although they may hold on to the enterprise market, why even bother with Norton AntiVirus or Internet Security when you can get Avast AntiVirus Personal edition for free! http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html/
No, I don't work for them, or own stock. They've even updated it for Vista. The cost? Register for a free serial number every 14 months.
Comodo firewall http://www.comodo.com/ is nice free step up for those who think they need something more than Windows firewall.
In the year 2007, there is really no need for a consumer to pay for a product from Symantec/Norton, McAfee, or any other security software vendor that has been fleecing us for the last several years.
By the same token, I've never seen AVG prevent, or detect an actual virus. I've then removed avg and installed f-prot /or fsecure and watched the virus count run up. But at least avg is free, right? I'm sure it prevents some, but for my parents, it doesn't deal with their weekly virus infection. always YMMV
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
I have nothing to worry about as I'm running Solaris. Despite the fact that people are continuously trying to hack me I have no worries. Right now (I'll look at the network activity) ?? funny someone has telneted in using some -froot argument. I wonder wha[No Carrier]
Australian running a company that does C# / C++ / Java / SQL / Python / Mathematica
This has been disproved so many times it's not even funny. you must be a complete fucking idiot to make such a statement.
Since you seem so smart, how exactly has this been disproven so many times?
Those are mostly worms, which are pretty much old news. Welcome to 2007, where most malware is installed by tricking the user into running something on their computer which then takes it over. Even Microsoft gets it (You're trying to use the mouse. Allow/Deny?). You don't.
>>As far as I know, The exploits in mac or linux don't really have automation in them. And i'm not talking about getting a tool to let some scipt kiddie pown your system. I'm talking about every infection requires some human intervention to be succesful.<<
Windows Vista has the same sort of protection built in as well. However, the protection is triggered so many times by non-malicious programs that users quickly become used to clicking "Yes" to every dialog prompt that pops up. This behavior can then be exploited by virus writers.
The key difference between Linux/Mac and Windows is the quality of the applications written for them. Linux and Mac applications do not normally require root access to function. Therefore, the system almost never has to ask the user to give root permission. And for the rare times that the system does ask for root permission, the event is sufficiently unique that the user takes a close look at what they're trying to do before making a decision.
Windows will be vulnerable to viruses as long as everyday applications require root access to perform.
We all know what to do, but we don't know how to get re-elected once we have done it
I only use Windows for maybe 2 hours a day to play a game, then I reboot to Ubuntu for real work.
Yeah, actually it's really annoying, because AVG is always trying to scan the hard drive when I go to play a game.
I've never seen AVG prevent, or detect an actual virus.
This is a completely ridiculous statement. Maybe you just haven't checked C:\$VAULT$.AVG, a normally hidden directory. Mine currently has 121 xxxxxxxx.FILs, going back to Feb 4, 2007. AVG is alive and well, TYVM.
I come here for the love
One of my clients has a relatively large Symantec AntiVirus deployment (something like 35,000 Windows PCs). I was, among many other things, directly and soley responsible for their Symantec AntiVirus architecture for several years. I assure you that there are many issues which can be easily overcome at the scale of 300 machines which are pretty close to show stoppers at the 30,000 node scale. I agree that Symantec Enterprise Edition is a reasonable AntiVirus product, but its weakest link, ironically enough, are the issues that arise when trying to deploy, operate, and maintain it at the scale of a real enterprise.
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
Everyone who runs as administrator in windows right now would be running as root in linux and then you would see the exact same problems on linux that you do with windows.
That's just asinine.
Windows (barring Vista which won't take major effect for a while and has it's own serious design flaws) runs EVERYTHING as administrator by default.
Linux runs EVERYTHING as a limited user by default.
Most average joe's would be using the *desktop* environment and would log in as a USER, thus protecting themselves from malicious software targetting their system.
Sure, they may lose personal files by running a nasty program someone emailed to them, but at least they won't become a botnet zombie machine that spams my inbox ALL-DAY-LONG.