Norton update kicks AOL users offline

An incorrect update to Symantec's Norton security software on Wednesday blocked Internet access for some America Online users.

The issue affected AOL customers using recent editions of Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security, Symantec said in a statement sent via e-mail on Thursday. The culprit was an update to intrusion prevention software that is part of the security software, the company said.

"This update incorrectly detected traffic patterns used as part of the AOL connection as a potential risk," Symantec said in the statement. AOL has about 20 million Internet service subscribers.

As a result of the incorrect update, AOL dial-up customers lost their connection and AOL broadband users were unable to access AOL servers, Symantec said. The erroneous update was removed from Symantec's servers about seven hours after it was released, and a corrected version was posted, the company said.

The Norton problem is the second high-profile problem with security software within a week. Last Friday an error in McAfee's virus definition file caused the company's consumer and enterprise antivirus products to flag Microsoft's Excel, as well as other applications on users' PCs, as a virus called W95/CTX.

Norton users who are experiencing problems can contact Symantec customer service at 1-800-927-3991 at no cost or read more on the issue at the company's Web site. Symantec advises users who are unable to go online because of the issue to disable their Norton software, connect to the Internet and immediately download updated definition files.

[JFDMit]

Finally...

...Symantec does something useful, but it couldn't even get this right. Why were only "some" AOL users kicked off? Why couldn't it be all of them?

[blackwing837]

Norton

Is the worst virus software imaginable. I always get rid of that thing every time I reinstall my operating system.

Nothing but trouble.

[Earl Benser]

Norton has been junk.....

.... for at least the last 8 years. But Symantec will milk the name for
a long time yet

[vvlada]

How do you know, when you get rid of it...?

How can you tell something like then, when you "get rid of that"?

It is something like, "Chocolate isn't that nice, and because of that, I never eat it!!!".

[eppb12]

I fail to see the downside here

Honestly, I'm trying really hard...why is this a bad thing?

[Dachi]

Heuristics have come a long way.

I am glad to see Norton taking some initiative.

[Ignotus]

Kudos Symantec

I know this will get beat like a dead horse, but the force/power of Christ compels me to say it. Most traffic (not 100%) from AOL is probably considered malicious by most savvy computer users. Also, most (not all) AOL subscribers are detrimental to us non-AOL users whether they intend to be or not. Many AOL users are "newbies" to computers and/or the internet. They are the ones who get phished, download spyware, and unwittingly transmit viruses via email and the like. Much like the other repliers, I see the blocking of AOL traffic and its users as a good thing. Like that one reply said, heuristics have come a long way. Symantec?s software was able to correctly identify AOL and its users as a security risk. :-p

[Earl Benser]

Only by liuck....

Symantec isn't that smart to do it deliberately.

[sadchild]

doing us all a favor

it's about time norton security software did something effective to keep the net safe.

[SeizeCTRL]

And in other news...

The internet for the first time in over a decade was quiet, peaceful and temporarily free of idiots.

[Christopher Hall]

As the old saying goes...

"No good deed goes unpunished."

:)

[pentium4forever]

That's why I recommend AVG

That's why I recommend AVG. Norton has the highest detection rate of viruses and such according to many tests I've read in tech magazines. However, AVG does a pretty darn good job and has less problems for end users. Oh, and it's cheaper too----FREE.

[Ceenedra]

It's not just AOL users getting bumped

It was time for me to upgrade my Norton's Antivirus so last week I purchased it from a local store (I will not do the automatic renewals online or download from online).

I installed it and everything was fine until I ran the first virus scan and it locked me out of the internet. Uninstalling Norton's Antivirus did not help I had to actually go back to a restore point.

After going thru this twice in an attempt to get it to work, I gave up and bought McAfee Antivirus just last night and now I am good to go with no problems.

To bad I did not hear of this problem with Norton's until today, would have saved me $35.00.

[Ceenedra]

btw....

Forgot to mention.. I dont use AOL, I have a local ISP (hence the title of my post).

Anyway even though I removed Norton's entirely from my PC, my network card was hijacked by something Norton's did. I could not for the life of me figure out what it did to it. That is why I had to then do a system restore in order to get the internet back.

[simsm7]

always did

norton has alwaws conflicted with aol as long as they have been MaCafee for their anti v and fire W. aol will tell you not to use norton.