Do antivirus software developers create viruses?

I'm sympathetic with king guru in his outrage.
Seeking perps among employes or disgruntled ex-employes is scrounging for explanations that are way off base. My response is that it's highly unlikely. (Disgruntlement would only benefit the company that the ex-employe would be targeting, so why would anyone choose that course while ultimately undermining his/her own professional stature?)
My own speculation leads me to suspect intelligent, skilled programmers who are most likely on ego-trips: Look at how many of the big players I can unthrone...even if it's only for a day. And with complete disregard for the many people,like me, who are inconvenienced by the infection or have to shell out hard-earmed $$$ to have our computers restored.
What satisfaction can the perp garner from that mischief

I'm so glad someone is speaking with common sense. I don't doubt the integrity of well established companies like Symantec, Trend Micro and Macafee.

However, I do think that smaller companies that offer cheaper prices for antivirus and antispyware are suspicious. There are numerous warnings out on the web against this product or that product that offer virus and spyware protection. They offer a free scan, which undoubtedly comes up with "really bad stuff", then they tell you their software can remove it and protect you against other infections for anywhere from $5-20. Sure, that's not much, but if enough stupid people fall for it because they see it as a cheaper alternative, then these companies have made a tidy sum of money at the end of the day.

Do they actually invent viruses and spyware, or do they merely give false reports of viruses and spyware? Regardless, there is deception perpetrated on non-savvy computer users. While I think the conspiracy theorists should be more responsible with their accusations, their vigilance should be mimicked by more computers users.

As for the Windows vs Linux vs Mac debate as to which OS is more vulnerable to attacks, again I applaud your common sense. But I would add that it isn't just an issue of who the biggest company is, it's a matter of this crybaby syndrome that plagues the entire world right now. If a company is vastly more successful than other companies, all the whiners come out of the woodwork and start calling it unfair. Every effort is made, ethical or not, to bring that company down.

In Microsoft's case, false accusations get made by people who are just pissed because it's bigger than all the others. Then, enter the virus writers, who feed off the negative attitudes toward Microsoft target Windows more than anything else. Windows is more vulnerable because it's more widely used and because it is more hated. By the way, did it ever occur to anyone that the virus writers are using Linux to write the viruses that hit Windows and therefore don't want to piss in their own watering hole? Also, keep in mind that as Linux and Linux-based applications (like Firefox, which I use) become more widely used, they are being attacked more.

Make no mistake, I'm no great lover of Microsoft, but they did more to usher in the computer age than any other company. Mac was too stingy and proprietary with its software, and all the Linux varieties required too much technical knowledge to be workable by the average user. So to all those people who hate Microsoft just because it's bigger and more successful, come up with a real complaint and quit piggy-backing other issues (like virus vulnerability) onto your hatred in an attempt to legitimize it.

SHORTER REPLIES CARRY MORE SUBSTANCE WHEN FACTS - NOT EMOTIONS ARE REVEALED.

I FOR ONE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY TO READ YOUR RESPONSE.

Don't read as is your right. But why do you think anyone cares when you complain about it.

I totally agree with you and your expression of common sense. Unintelligent tripe from people who can't think without being told what to think is the reason this world has so many fools in it.
"Here Here for King Guru"
Thomas Olsen

Youre probably a tad too heavy with your venom dude.

Other than that I think youre right and have raised a point most people havent considered. Especially the "morons".

Yeap! Reading your post makes me believe that guys like you probably do create these viruses.

Come on people, if norton or any other big company was writing viruses someone would have squealed by now. One person alone has a hard enough time keeping a Lie to themselves. Immagine how many people would be involved in something like a virus departmemnt.. :!


This topic was probably promoted just to get everybody all excited. That is how alot of theses c-net poles are. Just a bunch of crap..

"Oh and to the Neanderthal who thinks he's immune..." is a violation of the TOS -- I'm not pulling your message because this isn't my forum and the rest of your message is worthwhile, but please be respectful of other members, even (especially!) those with whom you disagree.
-- Dave K.

Alright, maybe Bill gates is creating virus. It is a possibility, but he also would make an insane amount of money of he could block 70% of virus, then next year do 71% then next year do 72% etc. Eventually computers should be able to be 100% hack proof,but there is always someone thinking out there...

Might not be a bad thing people can hack in the future, the anonymous guys kinda do neat things to big corps / government... I dunno im drunk, best way to avoid virus is not watch porn or open that e-mail about some hot girl wanting to talk to you.

What makes you think your job at your company, unless you are the CEO, has privy to all the secrets of that company? Lot's of people worked for Enron and didn't know how crooked their leaders were. They just did their little jobs and lived their lives, and could care less about what went on behind the boardroom doors.

Personally, I don't trust any business, period. Today, it's all about greed and lip service to the customers. Quality and integrity have been replaced by the "whatever it takes to make money" attitude. This is the new 21st Century and it's only only going to get worse.

I have been using computers since 1992 and i have never ran an anti virus program on my computers.

I recently downloaded CA anti virus program. It is the first of such programs that i have ever installed..
I have more of a problem with spyware than virus's.
After reading most of the post herein i have come to the conclusion that most folks are in a panic of virus's, more so, than actually ever getting one.

After installing a anti virus program and running it, it concluded that my computer was clean. So i therefore also conclude that if i can run a computer all those years without a virus protector and not have one invade my computers, then i have no reason to suspect any anti virus product producer would need to create a virus, in order to sell... But what do i know, maybe i should not stay online for 14 hours a day, or else one of those reputable companies may deem it is necessary to twist my arms and/or cripple my legs to make me buy one.

Thanks for letting me put my two nickles in. Have a happy sunny day.
Abobble

If I had your luck I would be buying a ticket in the biggest lottery draw I could find. Fact is your story is very much the exception to the rule and please don't misunderstand im not doubting your honesty, just that I wouldnt be suggesting to anyone that they take the risk you have.

It's logical to assume that they would. I don't think that all viruses are created by Anti-Virus software developers. If they are creating viruses, trojans, spyware, etc. the only benefet is to scare today's computer users into buying the software. I use anti-virus software. and i probably always will. But i definatly think that there is some "funny buisness" involved weather its paying people into writing viriuses, or writhing them themselves.. Like i said before, I have suspicions.

It would be lucrative and logical for anti-virus companies to create viruses. Prescription drug companies do something similar... first thay create a disease in the minds of patients through aggressive advertising, then they sell the miracle cure. Ethically, both techniques are reprehensible.

In general, the conflict-of-interest image of the computer security industry is hurt when anti-virus and related companies hire "reformed" ex-virus writers as experts and consultants.

We know the software industry suffers from two related problems: cash flow and lack of growth. Microsoft is an example; having saturated the market, Microsoft can't sell ever more copies of Office or even Office updates. However, if one can sell software that always needs updates, cash flow is guaranteed!

It's not beyond the realm of possibility that a corporate exec trying to improve profits would decide to help product sales by creating new "patients" who need the "cure." So, yes, I'm also suspicious.

Issuing of updates for software isnt exclusive to Microsoft just in case you haven't noticed. So has Mac and Linux, so has Firefox and Ad Aware ... wow guess what? They all do regardless of being free or not.

if they would not do tthis they would not make any money!

That is your proof that they create virus infections to make money? This is true because you say so?

Hmmmm. Well why didn't you say so earlier? We could all have saved time and moved on to another issue had we known loulou71 was going to proclaim the truth.

You can't be serious. Do you really think Norton, McAfee, etc. would risk their entire business on such a foolhardy scheme? There are plenty of others creating enough viruses to keep their business going strong without running the risk of losing everything on the chance of being caught doing it. I think the major anti-virus software companies do an outstanding job of preventing and eliminating viruses from their customers computers.

Personally, I believe all those conspiracy theorists have the mindset to do exactly what they believe others are doing if they are given the chance.

John Y

You post needs more thought; there is a very good reason why an anti-viral developer would not participate in creating their own virus: trust.

Think of it this way, would you pay Norton Anti-Virus if you found out they were writing viruses? I know I would not trust them, and I bet a majority of people would avoid them like a chicken with the sniffles. The natural response, I suspect, would be for people to migrate to a competitor.

Though interested in profits, it would be corporate suicide to get caught in such a scandal, thus it would be the very same interest in profits that stops them from doing such. Were I you, I would be more concerned about the government getting producing and distributing spy-ware then than an anti-virus software developer trying to pad their profits masquerading as their nemesis.

Read your own title?.
Nobody goes into an endeavor expecting to be caught, they all think that they are smarter than everyone else and will NOT be caught. Besides that, they would not enlist the company employees in the endeavor to begin with. That would be committing suicide for them, if more than one person knows something, then eventually ?everyone? will know that something. The only way to keep a secret is to be the only one who knows the secret; even then it eventually slips out in most cases (called ?ego?).
Look at all the corporations that have been ?busted? of late. None of them ?expected? to get caught, they just thought everyone else was ?dumber? than they were. That expectation is not always true.
I don?t believe that Peter Norton would do anything along the lines of the villainous postulations in the postings that have been left here. I do however believe that there are people out there who would, and if so, they will eventually be exposed in one way or another. Time is not in favor of the unscrupulous.

Anti-virus companies depend on viruses to support their business; it's their livelihood. To all those sceptics, you have to understand that anti-virus companies would go out of business if it weren?t for viruses. Besides, I don't think someone would spend countless hours in front of a computer screen developing a virus unless he/she was under some corporate payroll.

You might as well say that American car makers build faulty cars just so we have to have them repaired. Nonsense! All our troubles come from little green men from outer space.

Come on! think about it! what kind of losers have time to make hundred's of virus' a week! I find it amusing how norton has a virus fix the day after the virus is out.

What's the motive? There are enough crackers and script kiddies out there to drive the market. Why take the chance? You think McAfee wouldn't be looking for something to pin on Symantec and vice versa? If an AV vendor got caught, they'd be out of business - huge penalties and no more customers. Whatever tiny upside there might be is far outweighed by the massive downside.

This same "reasoning" would lead to the inevitable conclusion that ambulance drivers cause heart attacks, McDonalds is the cause of hunger, cops cause drivers to speed, pharmas invent diseases, and teachers make toddlers ignorant. Oh crap. I just launched five more crack-brained conspiracy theories.

I agree with degra, and would just like to add the obvious question:
Who makes the most profit from outbreaks?

Big Bissiness will almost always do whatever it takes to make money. Encouraging Hackers to make new virus strains is a logical extension of that concept.

This gem of wisdom comes from someone who can't even spell business.

That was funny! But I can not spell to well either & still thought it good! I have a pretty well defined since of humor, though!