Coming off a good quarter for Symantec's consumer businesses, CEO John Thompson warns against viewing Windows Vista as a solution to security woes.
Symantec ended 2006 with three months in which revenue for its consumer business grew 24 percent year over year. The company is planning to release its new flagship security tool, Norton 360, in the coming weeks and has a new identity management product, Norton Identity Manager, lined up as well.
On the enterprise side the news isn't that rosy. Symantec has also revisited its plans to enter the identity management space and ceded to the many players already on the market. Identity management software identifies users of a system and controls their access to resources by associating rights and restrictions with a particular identity.
There are vultures in the sky over Symantec. Along with Microsoft, technology giants including EMC, IBM, Oracle and Cisco Systems are eying parts of Symantec's business. Thompson, however, in a recent interview with CNET News.com, said his company is fearless, though it may need to execute better on its strategies.
Q: Have you installed Vista?
Thompson: No, I have not. I see no need for it for what I do online today. The machine that I use is the one provided by our company, and we have not made a commitment to migrate to Vista and therefore there is no reason for me to use Vista.
Microsoft says you have to buy Vista because it makes you much safer online than XP, or any of its previous operating systems. Do you believe that? Thompson: Consumers should not be confused. Vista is not a security solution. Vista is an operating system, and Vista provides some very important advances from Microsoft's perspective and for the industry's point of view on building a more stable, more reliable, more secure operating platform, but people still need the efficacy that comes with the products that Symantec and others in the industry build, and so we should not be confused by the marketing rhetoric with what Vista is. It's a hopefully much better product than XP or any of its predecessors, but it's not a security solution.
Antivirus and firewall products, which you sell--they're considered a first line of defense, but they're also considered outdated. Are you keeping up with the times?
Thompson: It would be naive to say they're outdated. Locks were invented for doors in the homes that we live in many, many years ago. They're no longer the last line of defense, they are the first line of defense, and people still buy more advanced locks, hence more antivirus, more firewalls. As the value of the assets that you have in the physical world goes up, so does the need to change the protection that you put around those devices, or those assets. And that is clearly the case in the digital world as well, and so antivirus and firewalls will continue to be the first line of defense. We'll have to be smarter about delivering new capabilities and new functions there for proactive defense as opposed to reactive defense, but you'll also have to layer other kinds of technologies on to deal with new threats around fraud and identity management and all of those.
Mr. Thompson's comment "Consumers should not be confused. Vista is not a security solution. Vista is an operating system, and Vista provides some very important advances from Microsoft's perspective and for the industry's point of view on building a more stable, more reliable, more secure operating platform, but people still need the efficacy that comes with the products that Symantec and others in the industry build, and so we should not be confused by the marketing rhetoric with what Vista is. It's a hopefully much better product than XP or any of it's predecessors, but it's not a security solution." shows the ignorance that Symantic has been showing the last few years. I find that Symantic products are bloated and require way too much overhead from the computer. By switching to MS One Care, I get the same protection but with 75% less overhead.
I don't think that Mr. Thompson really cares about Vista, only selling his product and him coming out against upgrading to Vista shows that Symantic has a very narrow vision and cannot be trusted to secure computers in the future. This can be seen on their own website where they have a Vista upgrade. I think that Mr. Thompson is being dishonest in telling people not to upgrade but then selling the upgrade on his own website.
much better protection with 100% less overhead and 100% lower cost! There is no need for Symantec's software or MS One Care if the OS isn't Swiss cheese. Sure, no OS is 100% secure, but nothing in the real world is 100% secure either. Just as in the real world, an OS can be secure enough that you don't need to hire extra security guards. That's the difference between other OSes and Windows when it comes to security.
What it comes down to is that if you really cared about your security, you wouldn't be running Windows.
When testing the beta version of One Care, I ran both Symantec and One Care on a computer I knew had viruses. Symantec found 3. One Care beta found 14. Problems much?
Another great virus protection program (at least, according to a tech geek friend of mine...) is Zone Alarm. He told me it worked better than the other two, but I've not tested it for myself.
When testing the beta version of One Care, I ran both Symantec and One Care on a computer I knew had viruses. Symantec found 3. One Care beta found 14. Problems much?
Another great virus protection program (at least, according to a tech geek friend of mine...) is Zone Alarm (or Zone Alert). He told me it worked better than the other two, but I've not tested it for myself.
I gave up on Symantec years ago and I have been using Avast Home Edition, which is free by the way, for 4 years now. It catches stuff that Norton neglected while I still had it and it catches stuff like candy. Symantec, McAfee and other products are bloated and don't offer much protection. Luckily there are other choices such as Avast and Kaspersky.
Have to remove Norton all the time - broken - bloated
I have had to remove Norton from 80+% percent of PCs it?s installed on. It slows them down tremendously; it has a tendency to block ports and access with NO notifications. And the uninstall is broken so you have to use the online tools to rip it out.
Its a bad sign when the software is written so poorly that it slows the PC by 50%, its broken on BRAND new PCs that its preinstalled on and the uninstall is so broken that they have dozens of support articles about how to remove their product.
And we haven't even covered the dozens of failures described in articles here on CNet - the times when Norton Antivirus executed the virus it was supposed to clean etc etc
"Versions of Symantec's antivirus business security software contain a flaw that could put millions of computers at risk of a crippling worm attack, Internet experts warned on Friday.
December 21 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/High+risk+in+Symantec+antivirus+software+flaw/2100-1002_3-6004097.html?tag=nefd.top" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/High+risk+in+Symantec+antivirus+software+flaw/2100-1002_3-6004097.html?tag=nefd.top</a>
Symantec's antivirus software contains a vulnerability that could be exploited by a malicious hacker to take control of a system, the company said late Tuesday.
September 1 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Symantec+probes+report+of+antivirus+product+flaw/2100-1002_3-5845873.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Symantec+probes+report+of+antivirus+product+flaw/2100-1002_3-5845873.html</a>
Symantec is investigating a report of a weakness in the way its corporate antivirus software stores login credentials, the security vendor said on Wednesday.
August 15 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Another+flaw+hits+Veritas+backup+tools/2100-7349_3-5833857.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Another+flaw+hits+Veritas+backup+tools/2100-7349_3-5833857.html</a>
( Symantec owns Veritas )
A security vulnerability in Veritas backup products could put corporate networks at risk of cyberattack.
By exploiting the flaw, an attacker could get remote access and download arbitrary files, the software maker said in an advisory released on Friday. Symantec last month closed its acquisition of Veritas.
June 30th 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Attackers+target+Veritas+security+hole/2100-7349_3-5770428.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Attackers+target+Veritas+security+hole/2100-7349_3-5770428.html</a>
( Symantec owns Veritas )
A security flaw in a Veritas Software backup tool is being exploited to attack corporate systems, the U.S. watchdog for Internet threats has warned.
March 30 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Symantec+details+flaws+in+its+antivirus+software/2100-1002_3-5646871.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Symantec+details+flaws+in+its+antivirus+software/2100-1002_3-5646871.html</a>
Symantec has reported glitches in its antivirus software that could allow hackers to launch denial-of-service attacks on computers running the applications.
Feb 10 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39180674,00.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39180674,00.htm</a>
Symantec has issued a patch for a flaw in its scanning software that could cause a virus to run, rather than catch it.
Security company Symantec, developer of the popular Norton AntiVirus software, fixed a problem in its LiveUpdate feature last week--a vulnerability that could allow malicious users to gain unauthorized administrator access rights to an affected PC.
Not the kind of record I want to see from MY Security company
And finally the link to the a Symantec uninstall that lists the manual uninstall for nearly 30 of their products <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/ppfdocs/2004040815371048" target="_newWindow">http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/ppfdocs/2004040815371048</a>
Maybe he isn't in a rush to upgrade because symantec doesn't have a Vista product yet. I am *sure* once he has a Vista product he'll be shouting from the rooftops how everyone should switch.
As far as security goes. If you aren't an idiot you *won't* have problems. The biggest problem are people installing *everything* that comes at them. "Oh this web site I've never bee to and is trying to sell me ***** enhancement pills wants me to install something? OK! Lets do it!"
Remember when they, along with McAfee, wanted MS to WEAKEN it's security features? They wanted the ability to turn off whatever security features they wanted programmatically. (Which would also allow a virus to, as well, thus, justifying their continued existence.)
Maybe he refuses to upgrade because he knows he can't just call the MS Firewall and Security Center "redundant" and turn it off WITHOUT your permission, all the while insisting that MS needs to give consumers a "choice." Boo hoo, hoo.
Maybe they ought to fix their own product before trashing someone else's.
I'm an IT pro, have been several years, and I love Vista. It's a bit bloated, admittedly, but I like User Account Control. I like that I am ASKED when something wants to install or run itself, or change my settings, etc, etc. Let me decide. Heck, this will eliminate a large contingent of viruses and spyware that are installed without permission. Oh, no, less justification for Symantec, right?
Symantec: don't believe MS hype, believe OUR hype!
Really, Vista is not secure because Symantec isn't running it. And when Symantec does move to Vista (and they will), Vista will be secure...as long as you also buy the Norton 360 All-In-One Security Anti-Everything 2007 package for $199 plus a $79 annual fee.
And when Symantec announces their next security flaw which allows attackers to take direct control of their software, but not the entire OS this time around (because of the locked down Vista kernel Symnatec FOUGHT AGAINST out of self-interest), you will have to ask yourself:
Am I running version 11.5.7B Build 6905 or version 11.5.8C Build 6917? And why isn't the version I'm running mentioned ANYWHERE in Symantec's online documentation? And why don't their awful tech support people even recognize the build I'm running? And why do they always ask me to upgrade my product to the latest version (when the one I'm running is only 3 months old) before providing any technical assistance?
Sound familiar yet? Symantec, you've dug your own grave, now lie in it. Don't blame MS for your shoddy software, insufficient support and horrific licensing schemes.
Norton Internet Security is bloated, intrusive, and cause more problems than it fixes. In an effort to justify it's existance it continually annoys you with alerts. With the exception of 2003 copy of Norton Ghost I've given up on their products. Despite his claims of experience and investment there are much better and cheaper products out there that don't slow your system down and bother you with trivial junk every 10 seconds. Since they aquired the Norton suite, it's gone down hill with every release.
Microsoft's One Care despite a few bugs is immensely superior to Symmantec's product. Right now I am using NOD32, which is better than both IMO.
its not the OS its the user, oh great unix nerd how many people do you have running on root on your system. I would bet none, how many people would be running as root if they had thier own system at home, probably almost everyone. Security, is not only a problem of the vendor but it is also the problem of the user. Inform the user that running at a lower level, greatly decreases the chance for infection, I am not saying its bullet proof. But it is naieve to say to change the OS, its not 1998 and we are not talking about windows 98. We are talking about windows NT, XP and Vista all come from the NT family, have the same NT like features and are alot more secure when protected.
Oh yeah, last i check there is a update for almost every major version OS of linux a day. MS has really gone a long way to make this version secure, but people have to choose, do you want a computer that works or do you want a computer that is secure. You can not have both. You have to choose, do you want it to ask you to allow it or do you just want it to seamlessly allow it?
If you think back to the late 90s and pre-OSX years, you'll recall that Mac OS was riddled with viruses and trojan horses. I had my PowerBook scan nightly with Norton and found more viruses on that machine than I have ever found on my Windows boxes. In the years of the fledgling internet, it seemed that no one was truly safe, but all I know is that my Mac was constantly under threat.
Apple did a wonderful thing by scrapping the old code and migrating to OSX. But it's important to keep in perspective how many people they inconvenienced. Apple's customers, for the most part, don't particularly mind being jerked around by Apple (funny thing, that). Microsoft doesn't really have the luxury to scrap the code and start fresh, though. Look at how bent out of shape people get when 3DMark scores are off by 3% for an OS migration. Now imagine the outcry of over a billion computer users that now have to emulate every program they've accumulated over the last 15 years.
It's acceptable for a home user to say that they aren't using Vista because XP works fine for them, but totally unacceptable for the CEO of a company whose sole purpose is to provide software security products which will run as accessories to the OS. If I were in his position I would want to know intimately how Vista behaves and get to know it very well down to the last detail; I would have my desktop running XP and Vista on the same machine so I can compare their behavior on demand. Lack of intellectual curiousity is a form of blindness that cripples every enterprise infected with it.
Lack of intellectual curiousity may explain why he seems not to be able to accurately describe just what the nature of the security issues are for his market and how to address them. People are not having difficulties with online verification of their own identities, which is done by the host software and doesn't involve their client software; what they are having trouble with is judging the validity of the sites they have accessed. Since Microsoft has built antiphishing evaluation into the browser, virus detection and firewalling should remain Norton's core concern. Neither Norton nor Microsoft is ever going to achieve the holy grail of big subscription dollars for services people believe should come built into their initial investment, no matter how worried they profess to be about security...
You want too much of a marketroid. He's not an engineer or programmer, or an expert whatsoever. Lack of intellectual curiosity, that tells it. He would not just "want to know intimately how Vista behaves and get to know it very well down to the last detail", he just might not be able to do that.
These comments from Symantec managent/leadership are totally consistent with the awful customer and product performance service I've had from Symantec. Oh, and by the way, Kaspersky works so much better than NAV.
"but people still need the efficacy that comes with the products that Symantec and others in the industry build"
Of COURSE he's against promoting Vista. If Vista is 1% more secure than XP, that means he could lose business from people not buying the bloated crap they call an A/V.
Common - look at the context here. If Vista meant it was less secure and you'd HAVE to buy an A/V, then I'm sure he'd be very supportive of it.
Vista security wasn't just a load of hot air. In reality, Vista users are going to have to make the same choice that XP users did: run under reduced permissions, and run into endless problems because of it, or run under elevated permissions and open the system to attack. Vista users are going to need 3rd party security every bit as much as XP users.
Microsoft and Symantec should take a look in the mirror and start addressing the problem where it starts. On the internet itself. ANY intrusion from outside the U.S. should have to go through rigorous tests before being allowed in to travel to any website; business or personal computer, etc.
I recognise that to be profitable, companies in the security field feel that its important to develop personal and business software to protect them. What this is duplicates itself millions of times, when ONE EFFORT by these companies and our government could solve the problem.
I use NORTON software, only because it has caught numerous attacks on my computers. It is also the quickest and most reliable system I use to stop spam, and e-mail attacks.
Price is no object when my security is at stake. All you need is to have your computer system invaded by terrorists or spammers or identity thieves, and it is so devastating, that you never let it happen again. Thank my lucky stars that I have backup software, as this has happened to me in the past.
"ANY intrusion from outside the U.S. should have to go through rigorous tests before being allowed in to travel to any website; business or personal computer, etc."
Because intrusions or virii are not from the USA? Give me a break!!! That's the most prejudice nationalism comment I've read in a long time.
Maybe while that is happening we should allow the goverment to inspect every piece of email and have exclusive access to our email. Because god knows that the terrorist have not heard of encyrption.
Maybe we can also allow the president to read our email, or how bout the US Goverment takes care of all our computing needs even can restrict which websites we visit. Get off the net! your embarasing people who understand the term of "Goverment, Hands OFF!"
Oh maybe we can have it like china that if we look up the word think, or democracy or "the executive branch sucks" we can imprisioned for a undetermined amount of time.
Sounds like a neophyte. I seriously hope you do not run the computing stations of any lan, wan or man.
Never ask the people at Symantec why Norton's products suck. Why Norton Anti-Virus is so slow to scan hard drives, why it sucks the life and resources out of our PC's. Why each upgrade is nothing more than a new year date, new interface and so little else. Why Norton didn't catch 10 viruses on my system but PC-Cillin, Kaspersky and ohters did. Why one of those viruses was able to de-activate Norton so that it wouldn't even work and their tech support people couldn't fix it so I could re-activate it and remove the virus.
Why don't these news people actually ask the hard questions instead of playing footsies with them. Why?
I haven't used Symantec products in a while. XP SP2 and esp Vista are secure enough without having to add Symantec bloatware. These programs slow my computer down to a crawl. They're a joke. Of course the Symantec idiots want you to believe you still need their bloated programs.
A top official at Symantec not upgrading to Vista! Yet the very company He works for creates security software for Microsoft OS's extensively for many years now.
So with his mindset of the insecurities of Microsoft frome Symantecs top guy; combined with his own companies insecurities; maybe an Apple Network is in need for my clients companies?
Something every great IT manager should be thinking of.....how much will it cost me to convert my Network to Apple based products. You know, products that are secure with a company known for it's analistic approach to security and technology.
Imaging knowing that your company is being protected every day and every night and not securing it's spotlight on how INSECURE it [Microsoft OS's as well as Symantec] is on CNET NEWS.
Reread the quote genius, he is talking about the PC that he uses at work. The PC that he uses is different from machines used in their labs for development and testing, and some of those machines will have Vista as well as other operating systems on it that they are developing software for. So quick to bash, but nowhere near being able to quite grasp the topic on hand.
spoken like a true zealot, unfortunatly if you have to run real bussiness apps then i doubt you will be able to get them to work i am talking ERP, how many ERP suite's will run on a apple, i know webclients will but what about rich clients. Give me a break.
Your right, at 1000$ a piece or more for an apple when a 300$ thin client will do i will be giving my staff all the necessary power, to do spreadsheets. I think people need to go back to the terminal/terminal server days, because they type of CPU power for a spread sheet is just rediculous only true computing pro's, engineers and anyone that needs alot of cpu power really needs a thick book.
Let me see, I'm running 15 servers 15T of storage MS2000 and 2003 Enterprise servers run antivirus and firewalls, take online payments and data transfers from major banks and haven't had a virus or DOS yet! But just in case I should switch to Apple who have little or no enterprise hardware, software or support, few 3 rd party vendors who handle large scale data mining or imaging projects and pay the Premium price for hardware to boot!! What a wonderfull way to blow my budget for the next 5 years!
...how the Mac faithful think everyone should switch to Mac, on one hand, but don't want Mac to be anything but a niche company on the other. Apple is simply to small to be a major player in the industry. And if they grew to the size necessary to do so, there is no doubt their customer service would suffer, just like all the other players have.
Regardless of what you think about Symantec, there isn't really much freedom from MS now that they are pushing their bloated Vista OS on consumers. A lot of folks like myself would prefer to buy new computers with XP rather than Vista given it's smaller memory/disk footprint, but have little choice now. I use 3rd party security tools on XP and it is plenty secure. Heck, even Widnows 2000 is still a decent, useable product, and it runs even faster, with a smaller footprint than XP does.
one there are a company and when you make a product you want to make money off it.
You have a choice, linux, unix, mac and older versions of windows will run. Windows 2000 and XP will both run the new office suite and no one will really force you to upgrade, But MS does not want to keep maintaining old products, and why should they. If they maintained every os, then hell we could still all run off of 3.1 and have the features of xp. j/k
the point is you have a choice, as long as you have old media you can install the OS of your choice. No one is forcing anything on you.
I am so sick of hearing people say "MS is forcing me to buy Vista!!! - waahhhhhH!!!!"
Cmon - MS released a new product, and the PC mfgrs WANT to sell Vista because it's a new shiny product and that's what people want to buy!
Note that MS *still* sells XP (both oem and retail), and PC mfgrs can choose whatever they want to offer. Please remember that it was the PC manufacturers that got all upset with MS because they missed the holiday season with Vista.
So please stop this nonsense about MS forcing you to buy Vista.
You can use a Mac. You can use Linux.
If you want a smaller OS, get a TI calculator. It has a REALLY small OS.
A small OS though, may not be the only thing you want.
Please stick to your old OSes, I'd like the new stuff. And don't speak out like everybody wants the same thing you do. Finally, stop your whining about MS forcing stuff down 'our' throats.
The day a Microsoft employee shows up at my door, holds me up at gunpoint, hog-ties my family and demands I install Windows Vista or [b]we all die[/b] is the day I'll gladly switch to Mac (or be dead, more specifically).
Footprint is such a moot point. What, are you using a 30 MiB hard drive? Stop being cheap and blow $80 on 300 GiB. It's such a shame that Windows doesn't boot off five-and-a-quarters, but guess what? Technology moves. Stop standing still.
You can't install any other x86 compatible OS on your computer? Ballmer/Gates post armed guards by your PC? How, exactly, is anything being pushed on you?
Would be nice if some people could conduct a discussion without resorting to vulgarity (for Querty that means swearing!) PS I just finished downloading the latest security patches for my Powerbook did you?? If you can learn to cut the abuse and respond with some logic people may listen. Instead you come across as another MAC/LINUX fanatic that makes it impossible for others to state a valid point.
you have linux nerds, spreading fud i use linux i like linux for servers, and PBX's. thats it. Linux has a few locks and doors built into the system SELinux anyone, or how about user control that has been installed into unix for years, anyone or anything can trash a system so long as you give it the permissions to do it. What zealot nerds have to realize that not everyone has the time to use, to figure out how to use some of the programs for linux. While admitedly it has gotten easier it is far from being seamless.
Bad News: The majority of the "net" ain't Windows.
Never was, never will be: The majority of servers and routers out there are some flavor of *nix or Linux, and was once entirely comprised of *nix.
This is our domain. The Internet was never meant to be user-friendly, it was meant to be decentralized and survivable. It has since held up quite nicely, in spite of the worst that AOL, WebTV, and Windows has thrown at it.
...and what on Earth are you talking about? Most GUI-based *nix proggies for use online (browser, email, chat, et al) are ungodly in how much they are user-friendly these days. OSX (currently based on BSD *nix) is even more user-friendly than Windows fercryinoutloud...
Reading that interview reminds me of what most companies say before they trip up and have major problem.
While I'm not a fan of MS in general they actually make products that work. Where I've bough them they earned my business.
Symantec on the other hand, lost me as a customer for a few key reasons. First, I've paid money for software that they won't authorize. Thus I have nothing for my money. That was just the last straw. That same software (Utilities and Internet Security) has less and less features with each generation. It's harder to use with each generation. It's more bloated and less stable with each generation. I have to re-boot my laptop due to Symantec crashes more than XP issues.
Over the three years that I was becoming disenchanged with Symantec (a company that I used to love) I sent several emails detailing my concerns. They did hear from me. They just chose not to respond.
I'll buy vista before I buy Symantec. Simple as that.
Yeah,I'm not installing Vista as my only 64bit os,either.I'm quite happy w/XP64 on the dual cpu system.All i ever need is drivers!(hey Avid systems-word!)It's a dejavu a la 08/95.I tearfully said goodbye to Symantec(Norton)a while back when multiple viruses blew right by it but were stopped cold by the free client we all know.I may put a copy of Vista on my utility partition and see what it's got,but XP64 is just great.
I watched the interview...what he said is that he uses the laptop his company gave him, and his compmany hasn't made a commitment to use vista. So what? Most company's haven't handed out new laptops with Vista yet. Does this mean that he will refuse a new laptop later? Probably not.
The headline grabs attention, and I guess that worked because this is such a poplular article. But the implication that the CEO refuses to use Vista isn't supported by the details.
norton does not catch viruses, symantric does not back their product and 6 weeks before your program needs to be rebought to keep upgrades coming, symantric (norton) stops working, unless you pay 6 weeks in advance. i thought when you paid for a year you got 12 months,not 10.5 months would rather not have a computer than ever purchase symantric anything
Does that mean the OS, somehow doesn't use any resources on the Computer, HD, Memory, CPU ?, Whow!!! Mac is way undercharging for their OS, they should enter the Scientific computer relm !!!!!!!!, Free context switching here we come, !!!!!
My Norton backup failed. Arcane database error. I need it to back up commercial work. I've written twice in Two Weeks and no response. Their customer service is TOTALLY ROTTEN!
Web giant is spending $120 million to beef up its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, according to filings with the city reviewed by the San Jose Mercury News.
The Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 could make its debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, according to a leaked promotional image.
MIT creates a simulation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spacewar. A relic of the early days of minicomputers, it was one of the first computer video games and set the stage for many others, including Asteroids.
I don't think that Mr. Thompson really cares about Vista, only selling his product and him coming out against upgrading to Vista shows that Symantic has a very narrow vision and cannot be trusted to secure computers in the future. This can be seen on their own website where they have a Vista upgrade. I think that Mr. Thompson is being dishonest in telling people not to upgrade but then selling the upgrade on his own website.
cost! There is no need for Symantec's software or MS One Care if
the OS isn't Swiss cheese. Sure, no OS is 100% secure, but
nothing in the real world is 100% secure either. Just as in the
real world, an OS can be secure enough that you don't need to
hire extra security guards. That's the difference between other
OSes and Windows when it comes to security.
What it comes down to is that if you really cared about your
security, you wouldn't be running Windows.
Another great virus protection program (at least, according to a tech geek friend of mine...) is Zone Alarm. He told me it worked better than the other two, but I've not tested it for myself.
Another great virus protection program (at least, according to a tech geek friend of mine...) is Zone Alarm (or Zone Alert). He told me it worked better than the other two, but I've not tested it for myself.
Its a bad sign when the software is written so poorly that it slows the PC by 50%, its broken on BRAND new PCs that its preinstalled on and the uninstall is so broken that they have dozens of support articles about how to remove their product.
And we haven't even covered the dozens of failures described in articles here on CNet - the times when Norton Antivirus executed the virus it was supposed to clean etc etc
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Flaw+found+in+Symantec+business+antivirus+software/2100-1002_3-6077616.html?tag=nefd.top" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Flaw+found+in+Symantec+business+antivirus+software/2100-1002_3-6077616.html?tag=nefd.top</a>
"Versions of Symantec's antivirus business security software contain a flaw that could put millions of computers at risk of a crippling worm attack, Internet experts warned on Friday.
December 21 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/High+risk+in+Symantec+antivirus+software+flaw/2100-1002_3-6004097.html?tag=nefd.top" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/High+risk+in+Symantec+antivirus+software+flaw/2100-1002_3-6004097.html?tag=nefd.top</a>
Symantec's antivirus software contains a vulnerability that could be exploited by a malicious hacker to take control of a system, the company said late Tuesday.
September 1 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Symantec+probes+report+of+antivirus+product+flaw/2100-1002_3-5845873.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Symantec+probes+report+of+antivirus+product+flaw/2100-1002_3-5845873.html</a>
Symantec is investigating a report of a weakness in the way its corporate antivirus software stores login credentials, the security vendor said on Wednesday.
August 15 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Another+flaw+hits+Veritas+backup+tools/2100-7349_3-5833857.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Another+flaw+hits+Veritas+backup+tools/2100-7349_3-5833857.html</a>
( Symantec owns Veritas )
A security vulnerability in Veritas backup products could put corporate networks at risk of cyberattack.
By exploiting the flaw, an attacker could get remote access and download arbitrary files, the software maker said in an advisory released on Friday. Symantec last month closed its acquisition of Veritas.
June 30th 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Attackers+target+Veritas+security+hole/2100-7349_3-5770428.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Attackers+target+Veritas+security+hole/2100-7349_3-5770428.html</a>
( Symantec owns Veritas )
A security flaw in a Veritas Software backup tool is being exploited to attack corporate systems, the U.S. watchdog for Internet threats has warned.
March 30 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Symantec+details+flaws+in+its+antivirus+software/2100-1002_3-5646871.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Symantec+details+flaws+in+its+antivirus+software/2100-1002_3-5646871.html</a>
Symantec has reported glitches in its antivirus software that could allow hackers to launch denial-of-service attacks on computers running the applications.
Feb 10 2005
From <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39180674,00.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39180674,00.htm</a>
Symantec has issued a patch for a flaw in its scanning software that could cause a virus to run, rather than catch it.
Jan 13 2004
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Symantec+slams+the+door+on+LiveUpdate+flaw/2100-1029_3-5140165.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Symantec+slams+the+door+on+LiveUpdate+flaw/2100-1029_3-5140165.html</a>
Security company Symantec, developer of the popular Norton AntiVirus software, fixed a problem in its LiveUpdate feature last week--a vulnerability that could allow malicious users to gain unauthorized administrator access rights to an affected PC.
Not the kind of record I want to see from MY Security company
And finally the link to the a Symantec uninstall that lists the manual uninstall for nearly 30 of their products
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/ppfdocs/2004040815371048" target="_newWindow">http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/ppfdocs/2004040815371048</a>
Do any of the Norton Uninstalls work ??
have a Vista product yet. I am *sure* once he has a Vista product
he'll be shouting from the rooftops how everyone should switch.
As far as security goes. If you aren't an idiot you *won't* have
problems. The biggest problem are people installing
*everything* that comes at them. "Oh this web site I've never bee
to and is trying to sell me ***** enhancement pills wants me to
install something? OK! Lets do it!"
Fools.
Maybe he refuses to upgrade because he knows he can't just call the MS Firewall and Security Center "redundant" and turn it off WITHOUT your permission, all the while insisting that MS needs to give consumers a "choice." Boo hoo, hoo.
Maybe they ought to fix their own product before trashing someone else's.
I'm an IT pro, have been several years, and I love Vista. It's a bit bloated, admittedly, but I like User Account Control. I like that I am ASKED when something wants to install or run itself, or change my settings, etc, etc. Let me decide. Heck, this will eliminate a large contingent of viruses and spyware that are installed without permission. Oh, no, less justification for Symantec, right?
And when Symantec announces their next security flaw which allows attackers to take direct control of their software, but not the entire OS this time around (because of the locked down Vista kernel Symnatec FOUGHT AGAINST out of self-interest), you will have to ask yourself:
Am I running version 11.5.7B Build 6905 or version 11.5.8C Build 6917? And why isn't the version I'm running mentioned ANYWHERE in Symantec's online documentation? And why don't their awful tech support people even recognize the build I'm running? And why do they always ask me to upgrade my product to the latest version (when the one I'm running is only 3 months old) before providing any technical assistance?
Sound familiar yet? Symantec, you've dug your own grave, now lie in it. Don't blame MS for your shoddy software, insufficient support and horrific licensing schemes.
-Mister Winky
Despite his claims of experience and investment there are much better and cheaper products out there that don't slow your system down and bother you with trivial junk every 10 seconds. Since they aquired the Norton suite, it's gone down hill with every release.
Microsoft's One Care despite a few bugs is immensely superior to Symmantec's product. Right now I am using NOD32, which is better than both IMO.
That an OS in 2007 still needs anti-virus and anti-spyware is shameful.
Oh yeah, last i check there is a update for almost every major version OS of linux a day. MS has really gone a long way to make this version secure, but people have to choose, do you want a computer that works or do you want a computer that is secure. You can not have both. You have to choose, do you want it to ask you to allow it or do you just want it to seamlessly allow it?
-Mike
Apple did a wonderful thing by scrapping the old code and migrating to OSX. But it's important to keep in perspective how many people they inconvenienced. Apple's customers, for the most part, don't particularly mind being jerked around by Apple (funny thing, that). Microsoft doesn't really have the luxury to scrap the code and start fresh, though. Look at how bent out of shape people get when 3DMark scores are off by 3% for an OS migration. Now imagine the outcry of over a billion computer users that now have to emulate every program they've accumulated over the last 15 years.
Lack of intellectual curiousity may explain why he seems not to be able to accurately describe just what the nature of the security issues are for his market and how to address them. People are not having difficulties with online verification of their own identities, which is done by the host software and doesn't involve their client software; what they are having trouble with is judging the validity of the sites they have accessed. Since Microsoft has built antiphishing evaluation into the browser, virus detection and firewalling should remain Norton's core concern. Neither Norton nor Microsoft is ever going to achieve the holy grail of big subscription dollars for services people believe should come built into their initial investment, no matter how worried they profess to be about security...
"but people still need the efficacy that comes with the products that Symantec and others in the industry build"
Of COURSE he's against promoting Vista. If Vista is 1% more secure than XP, that means he could lose business from people not buying the bloated crap they call an A/V.
Common - look at the context here. If Vista meant it was less secure and you'd HAVE to buy an A/V, then I'm sure he'd be very supportive of it.
SIGH
On the internet itself.
ANY intrusion from outside the U.S. should have to go through rigorous tests before being allowed in to travel to any website; business or personal computer, etc.
I recognise that to be profitable, companies in the security field feel that its important to develop personal and business software to protect them. What this is duplicates itself millions of times, when ONE EFFORT by these companies and our government could solve the problem.
I use NORTON software, only because it has caught numerous attacks on my computers. It is also the quickest and most reliable system I use to stop spam, and e-mail attacks.
Price is no object when my security is at stake.
All you need is to have your computer system invaded by terrorists or spammers or identity thieves, and it is so devastating, that you never let it happen again.
Thank my lucky stars that I have backup software, as this has happened to me in the past.
alg
los angeles
Because intrusions or virii are not from the USA? Give me a break!!! That's the most prejudice nationalism comment I've read in a long time.
Maybe we can also allow the president to read our email, or how bout the US Goverment takes care of all our computing needs even can restrict which websites we visit. Get off the net! your embarasing people who understand the term of "Goverment, Hands OFF!"
Oh maybe we can have it like china that if we look up the word think, or democracy or "the executive branch sucks" we can imprisioned for a undetermined amount of time.
Sounds like a neophyte. I seriously hope you do not run the computing stations of any lan, wan or man.
Norton != a good a/v product
long live Nod32!
Why don't these news people actually ask the hard questions instead of playing footsies with them. Why?
Robert
So with his mindset of the insecurities of Microsoft frome Symantecs top guy; combined with his own companies insecurities; maybe an Apple Network is in need for my clients companies?
Something every great IT manager should be thinking of.....how much will it cost me to convert my Network to Apple based products. You know, products that are secure with a company known for it's analistic approach to security and technology.
Imaging knowing that your company is being protected every day and every night and not securing it's spotlight on how INSECURE it [Microsoft OS's as well as Symantec] is on CNET NEWS.
www.Apple.com
See what Steve can do for YOU!
Justin
Tech01.net
If your sys admins are doing the job you are paying them to do, MS products are just as safe as any other.
spoken like a true zealot, unfortunatly if you have to run real bussiness apps then i doubt you will be able to get them to work i am talking ERP, how many ERP suite's will run on a apple, i know webclients will but what about rich clients. Give me a break.
Your right, at 1000$ a piece or more for an apple when a 300$ thin client will do i will be giving my staff all the necessary power, to do spreadsheets. I think people need to go back to the terminal/terminal server days, because they type of CPU power for a spread sheet is just rediculous only true computing pro's, engineers and anyone that needs alot of cpu power really needs a thick book.
- Mike
MS2000 and 2003 Enterprise servers run antivirus and firewalls, take online payments and data transfers from major banks and haven't had a virus or DOS yet! But just in case I should switch to Apple who have little or no enterprise hardware, software or support, few 3 rd party vendors who handle large scale data mining or imaging projects
and pay the Premium price for hardware to boot!!
What a wonderfull way to blow my budget for the next 5 years!
one there are a company and when you make a product you want to make money off it.
You have a choice, linux, unix, mac and older versions of windows will run. Windows 2000 and XP will both run the new office suite and no one will really force you to upgrade, But MS does not want to keep maintaining old products, and why should they. If they maintained every os, then hell we could still all run off of 3.1 and have the features of xp. j/k
the point is you have a choice, as long as you have old media you can install the OS of your choice. No one is forcing anything on you.
- Mike
Cmon - MS released a new product, and the PC mfgrs WANT to sell Vista because it's a new shiny product and that's what people want to buy!
Note that MS *still* sells XP (both oem and retail), and PC mfgrs can choose whatever they want to offer. Please remember that it was the PC manufacturers that got all upset with MS because they missed the holiday season with Vista.
So please stop this nonsense about MS forcing you to buy Vista.
You can use a Mac. You can use Linux.
If you want a smaller OS, get a TI calculator. It has a REALLY small OS.
A small OS though, may not be the only thing you want.
Please stick to your old OSes, I'd like the new stuff. And don't speak out like everybody wants the same thing you do. Finally, stop your whining about MS forcing stuff down 'our' throats.
You can buy whatever YOU want to buy.
Footprint is such a moot point. What, are you using a 30 MiB hard drive? Stop being cheap and blow $80 on 300 GiB. It's such a shame that Windows doesn't boot off five-and-a-quarters, but guess what? Technology moves. Stop standing still.
PS I just finished downloading the latest security patches for my Powerbook did you??
If you can learn to cut the abuse and respond with some logic people may listen. Instead you come across as another MAC/LINUX fanatic that makes it impossible for others to state a valid point.
Crap just happened to be the nicest description of MS products. If you want to to stop sugar coating it, let me know.
- mike
This is our domain. The Internet was never meant to be user-friendly, it was meant to be decentralized and survivable. It has since held up quite nicely, in spite of the worst that AOL, WebTV, and Windows has thrown at it.
...and what on Earth are you talking about? Most GUI-based *nix proggies for use online (browser, email, chat, et al) are ungodly in how much they are user-friendly these days. OSX (currently based on BSD *nix) is even more user-friendly than Windows fercryinoutloud...
/P
/P
While I'm not a fan of MS in general they actually make products that work. Where I've bough them they earned my business.
Symantec on the other hand, lost me as a customer for a few key reasons. First, I've paid money for software that they won't authorize. Thus I have nothing for my money. That was just the last straw. That same software (Utilities and Internet Security) has less and less features with each generation. It's harder to use with each generation. It's more bloated and less stable with each generation. I have to re-boot my laptop due to Symantec crashes more than XP issues.
Over the three years that I was becoming disenchanged with Symantec (a company that I used to love) I sent several emails detailing my concerns. They did hear from me. They just chose not to respond.
I'll buy vista before I buy Symantec. Simple as that.
may-be a light at the end of the tunnel , Cheers
Roberto
The headline grabs attention, and I guess that worked because this is such a poplular article. But the implication that the CEO refuses to use Vista isn't supported by the details.
trouble!!!!!