MS Security Essentials found 2 viruses that Norton Internet Security did not!

Had one day left before my renewal so as a test I ran a full scan using NIS and found nothing,  I uninstalled Norton Internet Security and activated Microsoft Security Essentials.  Performed a full system scan and it found a JAVA Exploit and a Trojan Downloader.  Why the heck didn't Norton find it.  I'm a SYS ADMIN for a company that runs Symantec corporate edition and now curious if they are running the same AV definitions?  Greatly concerns me and gives me pause to reinstall NIS and pay for the service.

NO Security product is 100%. I can show you tons of malware that MSE missed that NIS caught. Java Exploits are usually fixable by updating your Java. And what was the trojan MSE found called? Are you 100% positive it was a true trojan and not a false positive? Did you upload it to VirusTotal?

Hello culverdavid

 

Welcome to the Norton Community Forum

 

There is no one Antivirus program out today that is 100 % effective at all times. Malware changes so rapidly that it is impossible for any one company to keep up. That is why many of us recommend also to run a 2nd and 3rd on demand scanner to help catch what one product may miss. We often advise people to use the free versions of Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware. 

 

The corporate products are different from the retail products that we use here. For information about the Corporate products, you can post in this Forum below.

 

http://www.symantec.com/connect/forums

 

Hope this has helped you and thanks for posting.


culverdavid wrote:

Had one day left before my renewal so as a test I ran a full scan using NIS and found nothing,  I uninstalled Norton Internet Security and activated Microsoft Security Essentials.  Performed a full system scan and it found a JAVA Exploit and a Trojan Downloader.  Why the heck didn't Norton find it.  I'm a SYS ADMIN for a company that runs Symantec corporate edition and now curious if they are running the same AV definitions?  Greatly concerns me and gives me pause to reinstall NIS and pay for the service.


As for plain signatures , Yes , they use the same . However , Norton 2010/2011 are way better than Symantec Corporate edition 10 or Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 because Norton offer many more protection feautures.

 

The trojan downloader that MSE has quarantines : Please , restore a safe copy from the quarantine/back-up , upload the same somewhere (e.g. to a free hosting service like rapidshare) and send me a private message so that I can download the sample and check it . Will very much appreciate that!

I've had exactly the opposite experience where Symantec products found bugs other major players missed.  The case I'm referring to wasn't Microsoft Security Essentials but it was a top player and it's happened to me more than once.  If I understand correctly, and I may be way off base but as I understand it, nobody's AV is perfect.  Symantec has always rated near or at the top of the tests I have read hence they are my choice at this time.