Multiple security scanner bugs give users a headache Once an occasional inconvenience, serious security bugs and vulnerabilities in anti-virus and security suite products are growing into hardy perennials. Once, running Windows anti-virus was like driving down a dual carriageway. These days, it's more like an unpaved road. Last week alone bought a confirmed snag with anti-virus …
My company is in the process of switching from a stale old, slow, version of Norton AntiVirus to the Symantec Endpoint Protection. With NAV I went 3+ years on XP Pro without seeing a single BSOD. Now I get them all of the time! Turns out that we're already 4+ maintenance releases back. The release notes for critical crashes corrected in their maint releases are a mile long. My machine would BSOD the instant I unplugged the ethernet cable; A coworker had it BSOD when he attempted to save a document to a flash-key. (search for Symantec Endpoint Protection bluescreen)
Unless you want the headache I'd hold off for now. Just underscores the need to wait for service pack 2, or whatever the equivalent is in the virus bloatware realm.
Since I have been using a Unix or Linux desktop for almost 30 years - I am just glad that I have never had this sort of worry. I open any/all unfiltered mail that I feel like, my MUA (mutt) does not get my desktop infected. I put a spam filter in a few years ago (a man can only use so much viagra), I run ClamAV for my customers.
My main problem with email is trying to understand what is being said by those idiots who insist on replying by top posting.
Norton Antivirus? Wouldn't touch it with a barge poll, my employer had this fantastic policy to install that on to our laptops, but then the manager was a complete muppet and non IT literate (well, only just).
Good old Norton won't run as non-administrator user, so that's a great friggin security policy then isn't it? !
So many people ask me why do the retail outlets put Norton on to the PCs if it is so crap..first thing I do, is recommend people take it off..
Heard the one about Norton Firewall subscription running out and blocking http, email ports?
Found that out on one person's PC.. they'd lost their internet connection...I did some ping tests and ascertained the connectivity was fine, just certain ports were being blocked..
Now's that's what I call blackmail, "if you don't renew your firewall subscription to us, we block your most important ports, rendering your net connection dead until you resubscribe".
Having tracked the problem down, remedial action? Download a free firewall from the net and immediately remove Norton!!!
' The other bugs are less serious and individually don't amount to much, but collectively, they're enough to make you reach for an Ubuntu installation CD or start looking on eBay for a Mac. '
Er, no.
If I were using either of those bloated security ransomware packages in the first place, I'd consider cutting my losses and moving to another alternative.
Comodo & Threatfire seem to be best free-as-in-beer alternatives at the moment, especially since AVG & ZoneAlarm started getting every bit as sluggish and bloated as their pay-as-in-money brethren.
Moving to linux or Mac because of some dodgy security software update is just about as rational and sensible as having my foot amputated if I get a blister on my heel.
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