Windows fails second virus test

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encoderX

Title: Windows fails second virus test.
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6418965.stm
Related:
Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx
Windows Live OneCare: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-gb/default.htm
AV Comparatives: http://www.av-comparatives.org
AV Comparatives anti-virus test (PDF):
http://www.av-comparatives.org//seiten/ergebnisse/report13.pdf
ICSA Labs: http://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/icsahome.php
Virus Bulletin: http://www.virusbtn.com/index

Microsoft's Live OneCare security software has failed tests which check how
well it spots and stops malicious programs designed to attack Windows.

OneCare was the only failure among 17 anti-virus programs tested by the AV
Comparatives organisation.

Microsoft's software only spotted 82.4% of the 500,000 viruses that the
independent group subjected it to.

The test is the second in less than a month that Microsoft's anti-virus
software has failed.

Minimum standard

Live OneCare is Microsoft's flagship security program that, like many other
anti-virus products, is designed to help PC users keep their machine clear
of malicious software.

Austria-based AV Comparatives carries out quarterly tests of top anti-virus
programs to find out if they have kept up with the growing mass of viruses
circulating online.

The tests see if anti-virus software can spot a variety of malicious
programs including macro and script viruses, worms, backdoors and trojans.

The majority of programs tested, 14, got an advanced pass or better from AV
Comparatives; two got a standard rating and OneCare failed.

OneCare fared particularly badly against so-called polymorphic viruses
which regularly change their configuration in a bid to fool security
software.

"Microsoft OneCare performed very low in the test, and did not reach the
minimum requirements for participation," wrote Andreas Clementi, senior
tester at AV Comparatives, in the report about the tests.

A Microsoft spokesman said: " We are looking closely at the methodology and
results of the test to ensure that Windows Live OneCare performs better in
future tests."

He added that Microsoft was trying to: "determine whether any learnings
from these tests can be used to improve our services as part of our ongoing
work to continually enhance Windows Live OneCare to ensure the highest
level of protection and service that we can provide our customers."

The spokesman also pointed out that Windows OneCare had been certified by
ICSA Labs and the West Point Checkpoint system.

In early February, security magazine Virus Bulletin revealed that
OneCare failed to spot all the viruses it tested the software against.
 
encoderX said:
Title: Windows fails second virus test.
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6418965.stm
Related:
Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx
Windows Live OneCare: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-gb/default.htm
AV Comparatives: http://www.av-comparatives.org
AV Comparatives anti-virus test (PDF):
http://www.av-comparatives.org//seiten/ergebnisse/report13.pdf
ICSA Labs: http://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/icsahome.php
Virus Bulletin: http://www.virusbtn.com/index

Microsoft's Live OneCare security software has failed tests which check
how
well it spots and stops malicious programs designed to attack Windows.

OneCare was the only failure among 17 anti-virus programs tested by the AV
Comparatives organisation.

Microsoft's software only spotted 82.4% of the 500,000 viruses that the
independent group subjected it to.

The test is the second in less than a month that Microsoft's anti-virus
software has failed.

Minimum standard

Live OneCare is Microsoft's flagship security program that, like many
other
anti-virus products, is designed to help PC users keep their machine clear
of malicious software.

Austria-based AV Comparatives carries out quarterly tests of top
anti-virus
programs to find out if they have kept up with the growing mass of viruses
circulating online.

The tests see if anti-virus software can spot a variety of malicious
programs including macro and script viruses, worms, backdoors and trojans.

The majority of programs tested, 14, got an advanced pass or better from
AV
Comparatives; two got a standard rating and OneCare failed.

OneCare fared particularly badly against so-called polymorphic viruses
which regularly change their configuration in a bid to fool security
software.

"Microsoft OneCare performed very low in the test, and did not reach the
minimum requirements for participation," wrote Andreas Clementi, senior
tester at AV Comparatives, in the report about the tests.

A Microsoft spokesman said: " We are looking closely at the methodology
and
results of the test to ensure that Windows Live OneCare performs better in
future tests."

He added that Microsoft was trying to: "determine whether any learnings
from these tests can be used to improve our services as part of our
ongoing
work to continually enhance Windows Live OneCare to ensure the highest
level of protection and service that we can provide our customers."

The spokesman also pointed out that Windows OneCare had been certified by
ICSA Labs and the West Point Checkpoint system.

In early February, security magazine Virus Bulletin revealed that
OneCare failed to spot all the viruses it tested the software against.
Click to expand...

Well, that's more cash they got from me.

My question is, if the security software fails, then how good is this new
"Vista" at keeping us secure in the first place?
Are we better off just getting one of the better "security suites" and
shutting down the MS security protocols in Vista?

Rob
 
Rob said:
Well, that's more cash they got from me.

My question is, if the security software fails, then how good is this
new "Vista" at keeping us secure in the first place?
Click to expand...

Where is your responsibility in security as a user in all of this? If
you're dependent upon some kind of security software written by some
Human Being, like a crutch, to keep your computer secure and safe, then
you got a problem in the first place.
Are we better off just getting one of the better "security suites" and
shutting down the MS security protocols in Vista?
Click to expand...

So why would you install another piece of snake-oil "security suite"
software on the computer?
 
Mr. Arnold said:
Where is your responsibility in security as a user in all of this? If
you're dependent upon some kind of security software written by some Human
Being, like a crutch, to keep your computer secure and safe, then you got
a problem in the first place.
Click to expand...

I do very well at protecting my computer, thank you.

So why would you install another piece of snake-oil "security suite"
software on the computer?
Click to expand...

Because I felt like asking the question. Did not seem all the hard to answer
for those who know what they are talking about.
It might be "snake oil", and then it might not be. But the facts are that
there are problems that need to be addressed for keeping safe on the
internet.

If you know so much to come off with the answers you do. Why not be more
constructive and give some positive answers that will help people rather
than trying to come off as some "know it all" and attempt to put people in
their place for being less educated than you on the subject?

The fact is that I do not know as much about "Vista" as I do about past
versions of Windows. And hoped that I could get a helpful, and educated
reply in the hopes that I can learn more.

Hope that meets with your approval.
 
Rob K wrote:

I do very well at protecting my computer, thank you.
Click to expand...

But are you depended upon such software to tell you what's happening,
instead of using the proper tools and looking for yourself?

<http://www.windowsecurity.com/artic...d_Rootkit_Tools_in_a_Windows_Environment.html>

Are you not securing the O/S hardening it to attack? Things you can do
like removing MS File and Print Sharing and Client for MS Network off of
the NIC for a machine that has a direct connection to the modem and to
the Internet.

The machine has no business in a networking situation with a direct
connection to the Internet, along with other things that can be done to
protect the O/S from attack?
Because I felt like asking the question. Did not seem all the hard to
answer for those who know what they are talking about.
Click to expand...

Well, anything that runs with the O/S and is in some kind of detection
or prevention situation can be fooled, circumvented and defeated just
like the O/S can have it happen to it.

It doesn't matter if MS has its version running on Vista or some 3rd
party version running on it. They all can be circumvented and defeated
by malware.
It might be "snake oil", and then it might not be. But the facts are
that there are problems that need to be addressed for keeping safe on
the internet.
Click to expand...

I am not running any of the snake-oil. I am not running a snake-oil
"security suite" with all its little bells and whistles, like personal
FW with Application Control and the rest of what's in some "security
suite" trying to protect you from you. It can't be done. There are no
magic bullet software.

You have to take some part in it by doing the right things not putting
yourself at risk and not leaning on some "security suite" like it's some
kind of stops all and ends all solution, which it's not that.
If you know so much to come off with the answers you do.
Click to expand...

What answers I asked simple questions.
Why not be more
constructive and give some positive answers that will help people rather
than trying to come off as some "know it all" and attempt to put people
in their place for being less educated than you on the subject?
Click to expand...

I asked you a couple of simple questions and you start running to the
deep-end with it. My question was "Where is your part in the security of
the computer?" "Why install another 3rd party snake-oil "security
suite", trying to protect you from you that it cannot do.
The fact is that I do not know as much about "Vista" as I do about past
versions of Windows. And hoped that I could get a helpful, and educated
reply in the hopes that I can learn more.
Click to expand...

Vista in just another NT based O/S. There is nothing special about it.
You learn how to secure any NT based O/S from attack as much as
possible, if you know what you're doing. And you don't need snake-oil to
do it.

I guess one day they will have some links on how to secure the Vista O/S
for the home user, like they have for the other NT based O/S(s), which I
suspect much of it can be applied to Vista for the average Job Blow home
user.

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm
Hope that meets with your approval.
Click to expand...

What can I say, in the meantime, you keep looking for and applying some
golden bullet proof snake-oil.
 
Mr. Arnold said:
Rob K wrote:



But are you depended upon such software to tell you what's happening,
instead of using the proper tools and looking for yourself?

<http://www.windowsecurity.com/artic...d_Rootkit_Tools_in_a_Windows_Environment.html>

Are you not securing the O/S hardening it to attack? Things you can do
like removing MS File and Print Sharing and Client for MS Network off of
the NIC for a machine that has a direct connection to the modem and to the
Internet.

The machine has no business in a networking situation with a direct
connection to the Internet, along with other things that can be done to
protect the O/S from attack?


Well, anything that runs with the O/S and is in some kind of detection or
prevention situation can be fooled, circumvented and defeated just like
the O/S can have it happen to it.

It doesn't matter if MS has its version running on Vista or some 3rd party
version running on it. They all can be circumvented and defeated by
malware.


I am not running any of the snake-oil. I am not running a snake-oil
"security suite" with all its little bells and whistles, like personal FW
with Application Control and the rest of what's in some "security suite"
trying to protect you from you. It can't be done. There are no magic
bullet software.

You have to take some part in it by doing the right things not putting
yourself at risk and not leaning on some "security suite" like it's some
kind of stops all and ends all solution, which it's not that.


What answers I asked simple questions.


I asked you a couple of simple questions and you start running to the
deep-end with it. My question was "Where is your part in the security of
the computer?" "Why install another 3rd party snake-oil "security suite",
trying to protect you from you that it cannot do.

Vista in just another NT based O/S. There is nothing special about it. You
learn how to secure any NT based O/S from attack as much as possible, if
you know what you're doing. And you don't need snake-oil to do it.

I guess one day they will have some links on how to secure the Vista O/S
for the home user, like they have for the other NT based O/S(s), which I
suspect much of it can be applied to Vista for the average Job Blow home
user.

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm


What can I say, in the meantime, you keep looking for and applying some
golden bullet proof snake-oil.
Click to expand...

You should have posted this the first time. This was rather good, thank you
for taking the time to post it. I will copy it, and look it over again.

Rob
 
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