Norton Internet Security / Norton AntiVirus

[vkat]

I just came back to inform symantec that recently I installed Spyware Doctor and scanned my computer. To my surprise I found around 2000 infections. Earlier I was using only NIS2008. So, it shows that NIS is not great product at all. there are many others far better then NIS200?. So, though I have purchsed NIS2009. Sorry but, now onwards I am going to use NIS200? as secondery application. And if I had to remove an application due to some kinda conflict I will prefer to remove NIS200? rather then other application.

Now many will ask me to submit infections to Symante. But, why should I? if there were one or two infections I must have done so but to my surprisea simple free application like spyware doctor detact and removed infections but NIS could not even detact?And I was relaying on Symantec.

So, good luck to Symantec  and better they should start working and start working hard to reach on top again.

[edit: relocated post from a Forum Feeback thread for better exposure. Topic changed.]

Message Edited by Allen_K on 01-27-2009 08:54 AM

[yogesh_mohan]

Hi,

The heuristic techniques and definitions for the detection/repair of virus may different for different Security Products. For example, if Norton detects a macro virus, then it opens the macro file and removes as much of the viral code as possible. However, to keep the macro intact, it may leave harmless pieces of viral code or the macro name behind. Other security programs may detect this and report an infection even though the file cannot infect other files (I am not sure if this is your case..). It's a rare scenerio where you get more than 1000 infections. I used to play around with viruses/trojans a lot(testing/learning purpose) and irrespective of whatever security programs used, it detected the infections in very less number (below 20). I think, there is a chance of false positives from Spyware Doctor. To confirm whether all the 2000 infections are not false positives from Spyware Doctor, better submit some of those files to Symantec Security Response for further analysis.

Also,none of the Security programs can guranatee 100% protection over the computer as it is always with in the hands of the users. For example, if you open an email attachment that you don't recognize and run it, you may install a virus before your anti-virus software has a chance to act. If, when downloading a file, you choose to ignore a warning that your anti-virus package or firewall throws up, you're telling the software that you know better than it does what is or is not safe.

Yogesh

[PapauZ Norton Fighter]

Can you tell us what were these infections? Files, regkeys, anything else :D? Maybe Spyware Doctor just found a lot of regkeys, what were not used any more (can be the ramaining norton keys too after an uninstall.....).

Or if yuo used Spyware Doctor when Norton was running, it could cause false positive too, as SD can detect the whole norton virus definition directory, and a lot of norton dll's as virus, bacuse it mostly contains some code similar to viruses.

So I'd like to ask you, please let us know what things did SD found, and I'm sure we can help you solve this problem.

I read some tests lately where the tester company wrote that Norton's finding mechanisum is a little bit over then 90% (most AV softwares were around 80% or under it), so at the moment Norton's 2009 engine is the best in the world....

[TomV]

Hi Vipul,

It is quite unfortunate that Spyware Doctor detects 2000 instances of infection in your computer. However, it is an unpleasant reality that none of the antivirus products detect equal number of files as infectiouos for a threat. Other AV products are no exception to this as well.

You can take a threat for example and analyse across various AV vendor's Websites that the number of files detected for the threat is not the same. In some cases, Symantec may have lesser files for a threat whereas other vendors may have more. It does not mean that Symantec has not done a good job while other AV vendors have done or vice versa. Continuous distrust in the security products that you use leads to the emergence of rogue AntiSpyware applications and this is inevitable as well. I would like to reiterate that this is not uncommon among AV products and I'm sure every one in this forum will agree.

Symantec is committed towards identifying as many number of malware as possible and people like you can contribute to this noble cause.

Please let us know in this forum how we can assist you in tracking your submissions. We will be more than happy to do it for you.

Thanks,

TomV

Norton Forums Moderator

Symantec Corporation

Message Edited by TomV on 01-27-2009 08:46 AM

[ProTruckDriver Super Spam Squasher]

vkat wrote:

"So, good luck to Symantec  and better they should start working and start working hard to reach on top again."

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I also have a subscription to Spyware Doctor. Worked very good when I had NIS 2008. Since NIS 2009 came out I only use Spyware Doctor about once a month for full scan. I keep the program on my desk top and download it once a month for a scan. (Only because I have a little over a year left on my subscription). You need to go to the PC Tools forum and read about the False Positives. Don't get me wrong, I'm not downgrading PC Tools, it's a good program, but they have a lot of False Positives.

Also you may want to read:http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20080818_02