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Norton '12 Cybercrime Numbers Lower Than Last Year's — But Just As Bad

Curseyoukhan writes "Norton released its annual cybercrime report on Wednesday, and the company put the 'direct costs associated with global consumer cybercrime at US $110 billion over the past twelve months.' Last year's report put the total 'at an annual price of $388 billion globally based on financial losses and time lost.' That's more than the estimated value of the global black market in marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined ($288 billion), the report said. But Norton makes no mention of the vast difference in 2011 and 2012 numbers. That's because last year's number was entirely fictitious." Something tells me that the scare-monger number-wavers aren't as embarrassed by this sort of logical deconstruction as they should be.

46 comments

  1. Norton by P-niiice · · Score: 0

    Great way to get some cred in prople who don't know squat about security. Cause people who know the products know how crap your products are, and, unfortunately, THEY DONT CONTROL THE MONEY.

    1. Re:Norton by craigminah · · Score: 4, Informative

      While you personally don't like Norton or their products, AV Comparatives and other independent testers (e.g. CNet, PCMag, etc.) show NIS at the top in terms of detection, removal, low-system resource utilization, etc. Empirical evidence shows its very good at what it does. I've used NIS for a few years and I like the GUI, the speed, and the way it works but I didn't like the price which is why I switched to Avast but it's hard to say NIS isn't effective and efficient at what it does unless you're letting your emotions take over.

    2. Re:Norton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So have you done a Google search for the top 10 Antivirus software for 2012?

      http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

      This shows they come in at a #11. SO depending on who is getting paid to test them or if they are getting paid to test them is where the numbers come out.

    3. Re:Norton by Killall+-9+Bash · · Score: 2

      Empirical evidence presented by well-known rent-a-journalist websites does not trump personal experience.

      There are only 3 AV products I recommend (and i do this for a living), and NIS isn't one of them. Neither is Macafee.:

      1. Microsoft security essentials
      pros: free, does what it does with VERY little interaction, VERY low resource footprint
      cons: average(read: SHITTY) protection.

      2. Comodo Internet Security
      pros: free version available, most comprehensive system protection I know of (I install this when I'm having paranoid days and I need to find those NSA keyloggers I "KNOW" are there somewhere...)
      cons: HIGH resource footprint (makes my home computer run slow, which is a fucking feat... about the same as NIS and Macafee), and VERY user-unfriendly.

      3. TrendMicro
      pros: slightly above average protection, moderate resource footprint, few false alarms, no popups or dialouge boxes unless something is actually wrong
      cons: all around average. not really a con... doesn't excel at anything, but doesn't suck at anything either.

      FYI TrendMicro goes on all of my company's client's computers.

      I've heard Kaspersky is very good.. but I've also heard Kaspersky has dealings with black hats in the russian mafia. So fuck 'em.

      --
      "Prediction: within 10 years, Windows will be a Linux distribution." Me, 7-6-2016
    4. Re:Norton by craigminah · · Score: 1

      I use a computer for a living and I have found NIS to be very good. Don't need to be a professional computer person to know if something's good or not.

    5. Re:Norton by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      "V Comparatives and other independent testers (e.g. CNet, PCMag, etc.) show NIS at the top in terms of detection, removal, low-system resource utilization, etc. "

      They also know which side of their bread the butter is on.

      "Norton" brand software products started going downhill the moment Peter Norton sold his interest to Symantec. I watched it happen. It got gradually but steadily worse. The last "Norton Suite" I ever used (years ago) installed so many resident programs and other JUNK that my system slowed to a crawl, and did not supply enough configurability for me to just run those that I wanted.

      I reamed every last trace of Symantec software off my hard drive, and never went back. And never regretted it.

    6. Re:Norton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3. TrendMicro
      cons: all around average. not really a con... doesn't excel at anything, but doesn't suck at anything either.
       

      Totally agree with your post except for this part. I once had to install Trend Micro into a Citrix XenApp environment... I'd rather take a staple gun to my scrotum than try to get that working again.

  2. Last Line by CanHasDIY · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Thankfully, Norton's security products are generally better than its reports.

    Yea, and their security products suck donkey balls, so what's that tell you about their reports?

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    1. Re:Last Line by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thankfully, Norton's security products are generally better than its reports.

      Yea, and their security products suck donkey balls, so what's that tell you about their reports?

      Citation? How did a contentless one-liner like this get modded +5 insightful? Nortan's security products are pretty good. Sure, they had their low point about 5 years ago, but their products are actually really good these days. Just google for some reviews and you will see that they are highly well reviewed, like this one for example:

      http://download.cnet.com/Norton-AntiVirus-2012/3000-2239_4-10592477.html

    2. Re:Last Line by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Thankfully, Norton's security products are generally better than its reports.

      Yea, and their security products suck donkey balls, so what's that tell you about their reports?

      Citation?

      Do the hours upon hours of my life wasted on fixing the issues caused by Norton's crap-tacular malware, er, "anti-virus," only to eventually be forced to completely remove any semblance of said malware, er, "anti-virus" to get the damn machine working again count?

      How did a contentless one-liner like this get modded +5 insightful?

      Perhaps because I'm not the only slashdotter who has experienced the unholy abortion that is Norton/Symantic AV?

      Nortan's security products are pretty good.

      I know it's just a typo, but if you're gonna shill, at least get the name of the company you're shilling for right. Sheesh...

      Sure, they had their low point about 5 years ago, but their products are actually really good these days. Just google for some reviews and you will see that they are highly well reviewed, like this one for example:

      http://download.cnet.com/Norton-AntiVirus-2012/3000-2239_4-10592477.html

      Yea, because paid reviewers are always waaaaaaay more honest than we tech guys who have to deal with the aftermath caused by the shit code these reviewers are paid to say is awesome.

      Speaking of which, what does shilling pay these days, o Obvious One? Maybe I'll get into the biz myself...

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    3. Re:Last Line by Curseyoukhan · · Score: 1

      everything you need to know.

  3. Last year's figures weren't fictitious. by WebManWalking · · Score: 3, Funny

    Norton prefers to say that they were colonically extracted.

  4. Did my job by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I was paid to come up with numbers for the marketing campaign. Why should I feel ashamed? I did a great job. We sold *a lot* of product with that number!

  5. Friend hacked[tm] my e-mail... by Hazel+Bergeron · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...deleted discussion of my $1 trillion idea, so I never got to put it into action.

    Norton's figures are thus way too low.

    Excluding this, though, Norton may be including the media industry association criminals who overvalue the loss of copying bits representing a Britney Spears wailing lament, or whatever the cool kids are listening to these days.

    1. Re:Friend hacked[tm] my e-mail... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey! At least Britney looks good, Gaga is like starving twig!

  6. Vast Improvement! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This year's made-up numbers are less than 1/3 of last year's made-up numbers. In a few years they may go away altogether!

    1. Re:Vast Improvement! by SleazyRidr · · Score: 2

      My first thought too. If last year's numbers are entirely fictitious, where did this year's numbers come from?

    2. Re:Vast Improvement! by postbigbang · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, first you have to go to the BPA to find out how much software is pirated. The answer: the GNP of Brazil.

      Next, you have to go to the RIAA to find out about music piracy. The answer is: the GNP of Brazil times a fudge factor of 1.5.

      Then, you have to go to the MPAA to get the number of how much movie theatre and rental/royalty losses that they suffer. This is the GNP of Nigeria, times a factor of 7.233.

      Finally, if you're in the systems protection business, you have to talk about the losses from break-ins, data loss, user-down time due to StuxNet (they left Iran out of the figures) which is the GNP of Greece times an amazing 294.888.

      Go on check my figures. Be scared. Be very scared.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    3. Re:Vast Improvement! by machine321 · · Score: 1

      Well, first you have to go to the BPA to find out how much software is pirated. The answer: the GNP of Brazil.

      So... nuke Brazil and software piracy will be eliminated?

    4. Re:Vast Improvement! by postbigbang · · Score: 1

      Whatever the math says, man. Numbers don't lie.

      Except on Thursdays.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
  7. Has it ever gotten better? by Solandri · · Score: 1

    Has a computer security firm ever said things have gotten safer? No? Then it's safe to ignore them.

  8. if I understand this, it says: by the_fat_kid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This years made up numbers lower than last years made up numbers.

    next years made up numbers might be even lower.

    Is that a good thing?

    --
    -- Sig under construction...
    1. Re:if I understand this, it says: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Translation: We're effective but you still need us.

      Of course it's all balls, sort of like the terrorist repelling talismans the TSA carries.

  9. The reason the numbers are lower by maroberts · · Score: 0

    Is because non-Windows machines are handling more day to day stuff, so reducing the effect of the fact that your Windows PC is a virus infected POS.

    People taking this comment seriously will be first against the wall when the revolution comes

    --

    Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
    Karma: Chameleon

  10. Poor Norton advertising? by Twinbee · · Score: 1

    So let me get this straight. Norton are saying that the number of people reporting Norton as criminal (due to bloated and buggy virus-esque software presumably) has dropped from previous years?

    If this is true, why are they advertising this negative attention instead of just quietly improving their software?

    --
    Why OpalCalc is the best Windows calc
    1. Re:Poor Norton advertising? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because using Norton prevented over 200 billion dollars

  11. Must be incomplete figures by jandrese · · Score: 1

    That number sounds really low to me if you include people trafficking in copyrighted files. If you included that, the number would be closer to a googol (by RIAA and MPAA estimates) than a mere $110 billion.

    --

    I read the internet for the articles.
  12. They are doing it wrong! by gweihir · · Score: 2

    When lying with statistics, you get credibility for being overly precise. "110" looks like an estimate, while "388" does not. I also think they should have managed to manufacture an increased level of damage and at the same time a decreased level for Norton customers.

    So here are my numbers:

    - 2011: $388B for all, $9.36B for Norton customers.
    - 2012: $652B for all, $8.72B for Norton customers.
    This conclusively demonstrates that Norton is the right choice. Norton did manage to improve security for all its customers, even to a higher degree than these numbers show, because more organizations finally decided to be protected by the one true choice in security services. Norton achieved this impressive feat while the general situation deteriorated, with a massive increase of loss suffered due to attacks on IT infrastructure by ever more competent criminals.

    After all, if you drop all ethics and just let the amoral beast that you are run the show, why not do it right?

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:They are doing it wrong! by sarysa · · Score: 1

      Too obvious. I think Norton got it right. We're calling them out but they showed enough restraint that any intended ploy will fly over most peoples' heads.

      --
      Charisma is the measure of someone's ability to lie with a straight face.
  13. Re:Don't you mean "anecdotal" experience only? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Every single statement in the above post needs a "[citation needed]".

  14. Norton is a virus by EmperorOfCanada · · Score: 2, Insightful

    When family call me over to fix up a slow machine and I find Norton AV on it I walk away. I can't tell that bloated sack of crap from the malware it is trying to stop. I don't care how good it might be as all it does is pop up and pop up and demand money. How about NOD32? The last time I had my own Windows box that thing rocked. If it popped up then you had a problem that it was stopping.

    But everybody blah blahs about the death of the desktop but what I think perverted the whole thing was when companies like Dell, HP, ACER, and most of the rest changed their business model to where they sold a desktop for little or no profit in the hopes of getting commissions from sales of the trialware they put on their machines.

    Is it any surprise that people are buying Apples desktops, laptops, and iPads when the only thing apple really tries to sell you is iCloud? I am not Apple Fanboying here I think that any company that made a point of telling people that their machines were trialware free would make some serious gains in the market.

    My old policy with family was that they would send their new laptop over and I would wipe it clean put a good AV product, Open Office, and iTunes on it and send it home. That stopped when laptops cut the left shift key in half and put the \| key there. This was some cost savings thing for foreign keyboards but for me it was the straw that broken my tech support camel's back. I won't touch one of those keyboards. Plus wiping these systems is a nightmare of drivers some of which put some bloatware back.

    So for Norton to be scaremongering people into buying their crap product doesn't surprise me in the least; it just isn't their worst crime. As I said their worst crime was to be one of the biggest proponents of this trialware bloatware business model of lower end computers that has basically poisoned the PC market.

  15. Re:Don't you mean "anecdotal" experience only? by sarysa · · Score: 1

    If I give you the job will you PLEASE leave my office...

    --
    Charisma is the measure of someone's ability to lie with a straight face.
  16. And the solution is .. by dgharmon · · Score: 1

    "Norton released its annual cybercrime report on Wednesday, and the company put the 'direct costs associated with global consumer cybercrime at US $110 billion over the past twelve months.

    And the solution is to move to Linux ...

    --
    AccountKiller
  17. Problem with basic plausibility by __aaltlg1547 · · Score: 1

    Does anybody around here buy the basic story? That 46% of consumers are victims of cybercrime each year? And what are they defining as cybercrime? Is any crime that uses electronic means cybercrime? Nigeria scams? Fake charities? Phishing? ATM card duplication? Submission of fake bills via email?

    Lets see a definition restricted to the kind of malware that Norton is designed to prevent.

  18. Tablets and Smartphones to thank? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've been working desktop support for the last 7 years and have notice that in the last 2 years the number of users infecting their work machines has gone down. I wonder if the proliferation of tablets and smartphones that people are using for the personal web surfing is to thank? People are using devices that are mostly immune to the common viruses floating about and/or are infecting their personal devices with their bad surfing habits thus sparing the work machine from infection. The most common situation i've seen where someone gets infected nowadays are parents who let their children use their work laptop on occasion.

    Sadly, cats are killing more and more laptops each year, the silent threat.

  19. Norton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm surprised they've recently embraced the Norton name even more in the last couple years. Back when I worked at Symantec, they were really doing whatever they could to minimize the use of the Norton name and try to emphasize the Symantec name in an effort to wean the public off of it. They have a good reason to do that, as their license with Peter Norton to use his name means that they hand over about 2% of the profits for anything that has the Norton name on it. Their original attempt to drop the Norton name from the products completely caused their sales to plummet, as the Norton name was all that most people seemed to remember about the product.

  20. '12?? by Existential+Wombat · · Score: 1

    Why anyone feels the need to abbreviate "2012" is beyond me. Just makes the headline even less intelligible.

    1. Re:'12?? by Curseyoukhan · · Score: 1

      Design and style limits length of headline. Good question, tho.

  21. Re:Only "job" I'd want by sarysa · · Score: 1

    I was actually poking fun at the fact your post reminded me of someone desperately seeking employment (in a way represented at least a few times in TV and film, and usually worked...) but I guess it was too esoteric. :P

    --
    Charisma is the measure of someone's ability to lie with a straight face.
  22. Your posts are off-topic trolling: Nothing more by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Plus, the "best" my 'detractors/naysayers' (trolls like you) had was unjustifiable down mods + off-topic trolling, & nothing more...

    * Just a lot of TALK, about how "bad" the hard work of others is, when the UTTERLY HILARIOUS PART is, they have nothing of their own to compare with those works/wares they're putting down, or rather, attempting to...

    (Imo @ least, it takes REAL NERVE to put down things others have done, especially IF/WHEN you have NOT DONE BETTER or the same, yourself...)

    Bottom-Line: Anyone can be a critic - However, it takes quite another type of person, to be the chef...

    (All my detractors/naysayers had was effete "retaliation" in down-moderating my posts, but nothing of real substance... only trolling b.s.!)

    Put it THIS way: A former co-worker of mine, Mr. Scott Davis -> http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=190588 from Odyssey Software now works @ Symantec nowadays - & trust me on this: He's as GOOD AS THEY GET in the art & science of computing & I severely DOUBT anyone on this forums can even BEGIN to touch his skills + experience in programming...

    I certainly can't & not even 10++ yrs. later now admittedly!

    (We co-wrote an "enterprise-class"/"industrial strength"/"mission-critical" system together in 1999-2000 that is STILL RUNNING STRONG (cross platform from Windows XP to Oracle 11 on Sun Solaris) - He helped me become BETTER THAN I WAS BEFORE on projects of that scale & nature in fact! If Symantec's got THAT KIND OF TALENT onboard? They have some of the best that I've ever seen/met & that's after a nearly 20 yr. career in this field on that level, with quite a few decent accomplishments of my own, & me? I am NOT that good... I can "get the job done", that's MY personal estimation of myself, no more!)

    APK

    P.S.=> That's why you & those LIKE you, will always be nothing more than trolls in this life... you know it, I know it, & now? Everyone else does also - period!

    ... apk

  23. Best my detractors had's bogus downmods by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Plus, off-topic trolling, & nothing more...

    * Just a lot of TALK, about how "bad" the hard work of others is!

    When the UTTERLY HILARIOUS PART is, they have nothing of their own to compare with those works/wares they're putting down, or rather, attempting to...

    (Imo @ least, it takes REAL NERVE to put down things others have done, especially IF/WHEN you have NOT DONE BETTER or the same, yourself...)

    Bottom-Line: Anyone can be a critic - However, it takes quite another type of person, to be the chef...

    (All my detractors/naysayers had was effete "retaliation" in down-moderating my posts, but nothing of real substance... only trolling b.s.!)

    Put it THIS way: A former co-worker of mine, Mr. Scott Davis -> http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=190588 from Odyssey Software now works @ Symantec nowadays - & trust me on this:

    He's as GOOD AS THEY GET in the art & science of computing & I severely DOUBT anyone on this forums can even BEGIN to touch his skills + experience in programming...

    I certainly can't & not even 10++ yrs. later now admittedly!

    We co-wrote an "enterprise-class"/"industrial strength"/"mission-critical" multi-million line system together in 1999-2000 that is STILL RUNNING STRONG (cross platform from Windows XP to Oracle 11 on Sun Solaris)...

    He helped me become BETTER THAN I WAS BEFORE on projects of that scale & nature in fact!

    (Thus - If Symantec's got THAT KIND OF TALENT onboard? They have some of the best that I've ever seen/met & that's after a nearly 20 yr. career in this field on that level, with quite a few decent accomplishments of my own, & me? I am NOT that good... I can "get the job done", that's MY personal estimation of myself, no more!)

    APK

    P.S.=> That's why trolls here go off-topic, critique others work but don't have shit to show for themselves to compare to it of the same nature, & those LIKE them also?

    They will always be nothing more than trolls in this life... they know it, I know it, & now? Everyone else does also - period!

    ... apk