Virus Myths and Hoaxes.

I can't count the number of times I've had to send out an email to a group of people whom I don't know because some friend sent me a virus warning and they didn't take the time or bother to think whether or not it might be a hoax.  I've managed to deprogram most of these peoples (or maybe they're just cowed) from sending such stuff out, but still it persists.

One good place to check out such information to see whether or not it is a hoax is the Urban Legends website.  Type in a few significant words into their search engine and you should find some interesting things.  However, if you don't find something, check other sites.  I can't tell you what key words to search for, it depends on the message.  Perhaps at some other time I'll post a sample and show what to look for.

Anyway, the reason why I'm writing this entry is that I've known of some people who recently have had their computers blown up by Symantec/Norton Anti-Virus.  One friend was told by Symantec, Microsoft, and a computer "expert" what it had damaged his computer and he had to buy a new one.  Right.  People just don't understand that software cannot normally damage hardware.  There are exceptions, but you're talking extreme exceptions that are not normally found in the wild. (the phrase 'in the wild' is a term used by anti-virus vendors to discuss a virus that was found on someone's PC on the internet, as opposed to a virus that was written and circulated among those types of people but not released).

Anyway, my friend has been able to make his computer functional again, but is now stuck without virus protection.  The eternal 'What to do?  Which anti-virus program is best?'  Well, fundamentally, there are two major A-V vendors: Symantec's Norton A-V and MacAfee A-V.  I have a long-standing fondness for Norton programs dating back 20 years when I first started working with PC's.  I have a long-standing dislike of MacAfee due to its corporate edition A-V being a pain in the butt on a previous network that I was an admin on.  The problem is that there aren't many well-known alternatives.

But there are some.  There is an Australian A-V package called Virus Buster that has an interesting feature: when the Nimda virus was wreaking havoc, they didn't need an update.  In fact, they issued a placebo update to assure their clients that they were on top of the game.  If you are a corporate user, there's Message Labs line of products which uses heuristics and AI to prevent virii.  They apparently have a very loyal following.

But the reason for this entry is to mention a very informative web site, vMyths.  They have a rant that discusses the shortcomings of the anti-virus industry.  It's not technical, and you'll lose 3" off your waistline if you read it (offer void where reality and the laws of physics apply).