- Jul 22, 2014
- 2,525
How Antivirus Companies Are Hacking the Truth -- and Making Us All More Vulnerable
Each day, tech researchers encounter and catalogue more than 350,000 new instances of malware -- the malicious software that's designed to damage computers or steal personal information. Consumers and businesses alike believe their antivirus systems are vigilant enough to ward off these mounting threats. But they're wrong.
The fact is, today's approach to fighting malware is hopelessly ineffective, and antivirus vendors conceal this reality. Fortunately, the threat posed by increasingly sophisticated malware is surmountable. But, in order to succeed, antivirus companies must start working on technology that actually keeps users safe.
The reason is that it's no secret that the dangers malware poses are changing and intensifying at lightning speed. Even at tech-savvy organizations -- Equifax, Yahoo and Uber, to name a few -- system breaches have become common, enabled, most commonly, by malware.
Somehow, the antivirus industry still remains confident. Leading firms continue to market their pricey software by promising "total protection" and "tried and tested threat prevention." Many tout virus detection rates north of 99 percent.
These claims aren't just over-confident; they're deceitful.
Why "99 percent" isn't as good as it sounds
...
...
Each day, tech researchers encounter and catalogue more than 350,000 new instances of malware -- the malicious software that's designed to damage computers or steal personal information. Consumers and businesses alike believe their antivirus systems are vigilant enough to ward off these mounting threats. But they're wrong.
The fact is, today's approach to fighting malware is hopelessly ineffective, and antivirus vendors conceal this reality. Fortunately, the threat posed by increasingly sophisticated malware is surmountable. But, in order to succeed, antivirus companies must start working on technology that actually keeps users safe.
The reason is that it's no secret that the dangers malware poses are changing and intensifying at lightning speed. Even at tech-savvy organizations -- Equifax, Yahoo and Uber, to name a few -- system breaches have become common, enabled, most commonly, by malware.
Somehow, the antivirus industry still remains confident. Leading firms continue to market their pricey software by promising "total protection" and "tried and tested threat prevention." Many tout virus detection rates north of 99 percent.
These claims aren't just over-confident; they're deceitful.
Why "99 percent" isn't as good as it sounds
...
...