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Raw Bytes Computer News KPBX FM 91.1 Radio National Public Radio Network Frank Delaney Producer Broadcast on Thursday Morning 7:35 AM During Morning Edition Support Public Radio ! The Theater Of the Mind |
In computer news this week 03/15/2006 |
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When is a
computer virus not really a virus ? When some
anti-virus company makes a big mistake ... I read
this blurb on a Ziff-Davis website recently “(Anti-virus vendor ) McAfee
in the news
Posted by
Richard Stiennon According to numerous reports, McAfee has released an
updated DAT file that mistakenly identifies hundreds of legitimate
executables as viruses, including Microsoft Excel. “ Most people don’t understand
how anti-virus companies update their products. There are usually dozens or
hundreds of new viruses that emerge daily on the internet. Anti-virus companies try to trap the
newest ones, dissect them so they can figure out how they work and how to
stop them. And then they add them to what is known as their Anti-Virus Data
file. Then, usually once a day,
all customers who use their product pc’s will automatically connect to
the vendor’s site, and download and install the updated Anti-Virus Data
File. Virus identification is usually
based on signatures, or known code or behavior. The vendor’s antivirus program
is always in memory of your pc monitoring what’s going on, and looking
for new programs trying to get into your computer that match the code signatures
– or known behaviors - in
their Anti-virus data file. So when Mcafee makes a mistake
like identifying Microsoft Excel as a virus, you don’t do any spread
sheeting that day until your anti-virus program updates itself and corrects
the problem. You might have to wait 24 hours to
use Excel in that situation. It seems a very low tech to fight viruses, but
that’s the way most of the vendors work. And let me point out that the
good ones update daily, some only do it weekly or so. So what does this really mean. It means that you buy an antivirus program and set
it to auto-update itself, and you sit back and think you’re completely
safe from viruses. Gong ! You are actually vulnerable each
day for about 23 hours and 55 minutes to new viruses, spyware, adware,
whatever, until your program updates itself again. You have actually been dodging
bullets or wearing a big S on your chest when you’ve been surfing the
internet fearlessly, and you’re actually fortunate not to have gotten
hit by a stray virus not included in the last update of your anti-virus
program. I’ve had clients been hit by
viruses while using all the major antivirus programs, and while having their pc’s
set to automatically update daily. And some of them were hit by some really
nasty viruses, which resulted in hours on the phone with tech support to
remove them. So if you’re really worried
about this, you might even have 2 antivirus programs on your computer, like I
do. I’m using the new betatest of
Microsoft’s Windows Onecare antivirus
program, and Microsoft’s Windows defender anti-spyware program. But I
also use another anti-virus program I kind of like called Xsoft
Spy from a Canadian company, that does an excellent
job also. So using 2 completely
different antivirus
programs, that update at different times and use different technologies, do
you think I’m still worried? Confucious says “Man with 2 watches is
never exactly sure what time it really is .. ‘ You bet I’m still worried. For Raw Bytes This is Frank Delaney (C) 2005 MTA Micro
Technology Associates http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html PO Box 31522 Spokane, Wa 99223-1522 (509)624-7230 |
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