Comments on: Details of Microsoft antivirus software leak out

French product manager at software giant reveals some tidbits about company's planned entry into antivirus market.

[Dachi]

Why not build secure mail client instead?

Seriously, why can't they build a locked-down email client and give it away for free?

There are hundreds of AV utilities out there, yet security threats are at an all-time high.

If this solution is not a drastically different and more effective method, it will just milk people for money and provide a false sense of security like the other solutions.

If it is drastically different, they will face anti-trust allegations again for using their position as an OS vendor to leverage their AV product.

How is it that a D student like me is probably more qualified at making decisions than the folks at MS who decided to do this?

[Johnny Mnemonic]

Better yet, switych to Linux

Seriously, this is an obvious solution.

[Not Bugged]

You don't understand

Perhaps you're a D student because you don't understand things that well. The biggest reason viruses and such keep spreading is because people will ignore all the warnings you give them in their rush to see whatever the virus writer told them they'd see when they open the attachement. It's not the mail software that's to blame in most cases, it's the person behind the keyboard.

Hmmm...

How altruistic is this? What is the motivation?
Just to expand your product base? An OS vendor
that writes it's own anit-virus software doesn't
just sound right to me. Why not focus on building
an impregnable system? Isn't that better than
competing with AV software vendors who survive by
proffering solutions to guard against your own software vulnerabilities?

[zizzybaloobah]

Hey MS! Make your existing stuff secure first! An analogy

I've got several problems with MS offering antivirus software:

First, imagine if McDonalds not only sold food that made you sick (I know, that's impossible! >8-)), but also sold their own remedy to make it better! I'm sure they wouldn't be bragging about billions and billions served!

Second, if MS can't keep their OS, browser, and email client secure, can we really trust them to create reliable antivirus software? Even the established players in this area have had a few security problems of their own.

Third, I'll bet their product won't be included with the standard version of the operating system -- Surely it will be part of the "Longhorn Plus Pack".