Symantec Launches Anti-Spyware Beta 319
daria42 writes "Symantec has launched the beta test version of its anti-spyware application, which will be sold from June as part of Norton Internet Security 2005. The company's Norman Kohlberger said the main aim of the new combined product was to make PC security as easy as possible for the end user. 'The computer is not a toy anymore. It has turned into a toaster and microwave -- it has become an integral part of the home environment,' he said. 'We have to reduce the complexity. People do not want privacy software, firewall, antivirus, spyware, adware and blended threats. The average individual is saying I don't want this anymore. Just fix it. What we are doing is reducing the complexity.'"
Re:Challenge (Score:2, Informative)
Right now I use CA eTrust virus and MS AntiSpyware.
Re:Challenge (Score:2, Informative)
2) Ad-aware
3) Spybot
4) AVG Free edition
Never had a virus or spyware problem.
Hmm, an advert masquerading as news... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Challenge (Score:2, Informative)
Run Antivir or ClamAV, find way too many copies of Klez or something else Norton AV should have caught.
Customer goes home, immediatly installs Norton again even though we warn them not to, machine is back in the shop two days later because it's broken again.
I can only wonder what their anti-spyware software will do.
Simplicity is not always good (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Norton is useless (Score:3, Informative)
What I use in the white box store I work in is Ad-Aware & Spybot for ad/spy/malware and Trend for virus cleanups. I have found that McAfee is also very good at clean up. Fprot seems to be the best at prevention, we have used it on everything in the store for over 3 years and I have had it at home for 2+ years and no virus has ever made it in. I switched at home when Norton let one in. It was the only one ever to get in one of my boxes in 15 years, I was seriously pissed.
What a POS (Score:2, Informative)
Re:convenient for Symantec, too (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Or buy an OS that isn't subject to this bullshi (Score:2, Informative)
Wow...that was fun...
Maniacal raving flames aside, I'll be the first to agree with you. As an I.T. guy (not former), I readily admit that the piss-poor state of M$ operating systems keep food on my table.
I LOVE spyware...spyware alone pays my mortgage.
It's a joke (Score:3, Informative)
Symantec lost the game a long time ago-- there are much better (and cheaper) ways to keep your PC afloat.
Re:Money? (Score:2, Informative)
The updated virus defs can be tested on a single machine before being released to the whole company. You can start scans of individual computers or for fun, start the whole company on a full system scan at once. It has a centralized quarantine and all alerts are logged in one place, so you can see when Mr.CEO clicks on that attachment you told the whole company not to click on. It seems to take up less memory probably because it doesn't have the fancy pretty foo-foo web page graphics looking front end. It just has a functional everything where you can find it interface.
Re:Bullshit! (Score:2, Informative)
It also has detected spyware during a system scan. It's nowhere near as good as spybot, adaware, and MS anti-spyware...but it blocks the worst stuff and with each definition and engine update, it's getting better.
Every time this subject comes up ... (Score:4, Informative)
First off, if your router has a DMZ, then you are running a firewall.
As for the rest, without running current anti-virus software, you won't know if you have a virus.
The same with spyware.
The fact is, "common sense" will not prevent you from accidentally typing in a wrong URL and ending up at a site that would exploit IE.
The same with Outlook Express. There is nothing stopping someone else from sending you email with a virus that would exploit an auto-run sequence.
"Common sense" is knowing that Windows is vulnerable and needs to be protected.
"Common sense" is running the necessary protections and keeping them updated.