Anti Virus Apps becoming a law

[Fatphantom]

One lawmaker has a possible solution to the increasing problem of computer viruses: requiring all computer users in the United States to install antivirus software on their PCs.


At a congressional committee hearing on computer viruses Thursday, Representative Charles Bass (R-New Hampshire) discussed this possibility as a way to counter the billions of dollars in damage done by viruses and worms in 2003 alone. IT security experts disagreed with his suggestion, and with other ways for the government to encourage cybersecurity among private companies and individual users.

Read the rest over Here

Hmm.. I thought microsoft would make some sort of antivirus that would run in the background and shove them in there next service pack..

[Lansing_Banda]

In other news, a computer user named Fatphantom was found lying naked in a ditch. He had apparently lost all his memory and the only clue to his origen was a tatoo burned into his back that said "Bill...". He was found early this morning chanting "Yes sir, the start button is very shiny; Yes sir I love start button..."

[Striek]

Originally posted here by Fatphantom
Hmm.. I thought microsoft would make some sort of antivirus that would run in the background and shove them in there next service pack..

I can see it now... Microsoft AV telling me that my Norton AV signature files are viruses and automatically "repairing" them to "enhance my computing experience", and the rest of the world giving up on 3rd party software because of such inconveniences, much like Netscape users did 5 years ago when IE4 came bundled. Unless they but a tried and true distribution, I'll stick with third party software, thenk you very much.

[nihil]

Hmmmm

To install AV is human.................to keep it up to date and run it would appear to require divine intervention?

Sorry, I have seen too many installations with two year old AV on them

I do not believe that legislation will work unless it is along the lines of "due dilligence"...........as in if your computer contracts something that damages my computer, you have to prove "due dilligence" insofar as you took adequate steps to prevent it?

How on earth you would enforce such legislation is another day's work?


Just my £0.02

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here by nihil
Hmmmm

To install AV is human.................to keep it up to date and run it would appear to require divine intervention?

Sorry, I have seen too many installations with two year old AV on them

I do not believe that legislation will work unless it is along the lines of "due dilligence"...........as in if your computer contracts something that damages my computer, you have to prove "due dilligence" insofar as you took adequate steps to prevent it?

How on earth you would enforce such legislation is another day's work?


Just my £0.02

I agree with Nihil: People are lazy, or the download takes too much time on their 56k or they dont know how to update their antivirus. I installed Norton Antivirus on my sisters computer 3 months ago and she called me the other day asking if she had antivirus on the machine....

[skiddieleet]

I don't use any av at the moment, but if they get some team together and build a free app and have the team working on it constantly and constantly updating it I think it is a good Idea. They could also get anyone they catch for making viruses and force them on the team for punishment. I didn't read the article just the quote because I'm lazy. That is my opinion though.

[GrApHiCTrOn]

average people don't give a F**k about security, ive seen computer that are infected with natas and other old shool virus. The only thing an average uiser whants are:
1 browser the internet
2 Download songs
3 Chat
4 burn cd's

I work at a computer shop, thats one of my jobs. And we have been having computers infected with Blaster. At least we get 3 or more a week. And the only updates that i found in th ecomputers are just codecs for Microsoft Mediaplayer.
I personaly tell customers to update, and tell them how, i even make shortcuts to their desktops so that they remember.

But what else could i do ?? ? go to their houses every week to run windows uptade an their AV update ? ? ? ?

[j3r]

Yeah, this is just silly. Will there be a certification process for anti-virus software? How much will it cost? If AV software doesn't have to be certified, I'll just define SETI@Home to be AV software, and be done with it. Computers are not lamps, it's not just a matter of a UL engineer looking it over and slapping a sticker on it. (Digression: Underwriter's Laboratories technicians have cool jobs. They get to blow stuff up for a living.)

[GrApHiCTrOn]

************
also i did noticed that most of the people that come here don't have an idea of how virus work, or how they get infected.

i made some print outs about virus they answer the FAQ's that i get here from persons that get infected with virus.

[fl34bit3]

Like it has been said people just dont care. and all they really want is an emachine that they can browse the internet with. I can see microsoft putting in their own antivirus and pawning it on the masses as a hotfix. But if it were to happen there would be another great uproar about how they are taking over everything. So either way M$ and their users lose (sortof) Either their computers get infections and they hear about more scandals from bill gates, or they get force fed some more crap. People just need common sense. Maybe we should make them all attend classes to teach them how to do crap the right way.

PeacE
-BoB