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Thread: Free AntiVirus from Computer Associate

  1. #1
    AO French Antique News Whore
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    Free AntiVirus from Computer Associate

    Computer Associates International plans to give away security software to consumers to stop them from spreading computer viruses--but the deal could undermine the strength of its competitors.
    The deal, announced Tuesday, allows each consumer to download for free CA's eTrust EZ Armor software, which includes virus protection and a personal firewall. Customers of the security software company also can receive a free year of updates to fend off the latest threats.

    CA decided to take the step because home users with vulnerable computers help a virus epidemic grow, which then affects corporations, said Ian Hameroff, senior security strategist for CA.




    "Our focus is and remains to be at the enterprise," he said. "The risks today are not necessarily in the enterprise, but they are ending up affecting the enterprise."

    Hameroff said the deal wasn't about weakening its competitors in an industry in which the company has traditionally not competed.

    "Our main focus was not to erode the market share of our competitors," he said. "If that is a side effect, then that is a side effect."

    However, antivirus software giant Symantec's stock price shed more than 7 percent on the news, finishing the day at $61.68, while No. 2 antivirus software maker Network Associates ended down more than 5 percent at $13.29.

    At least one security industry analyst believed the drop in the two companies' stock was an overreaction to the news. CA has about 6 percent of the worldwide antivirus market, but has less than 1 percent of the consumer market for the software, said Donovan Gow, vice president of equity research for market analysis firm American Technology Research.

    "Computer Associates has long been a player in the antivirus space but has never managed to gain much traction," he wrote in a research note about the declines in stock prices.

    Microsoft, which has teamed up with CA to direct consumers to the new offer, recently announced that it created a $5 million fund to reward people that provide the FBI with information leading to the arrest of those who released certain viruses. The first two bounties already have been announced: $250,000 each for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the groups responsible for releasing the Sobig.f virus and the MSBlast worm.

    CA looks at its free software offer as a carrot of a different sort--this one aimed at consumers with insecure PCs.

    "The percentage of home computer users that don't update their antivirus software is very large," Hameroff said.

    The 18MB eTrust EZ Armor software package is available on CA's Web site.
    Source : http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5108904.html

    Download Link from AntiVirus: http://www.my-etrust.com/microsoft/

    Have fun getting a good Anti-Virus from Computer Associate pay by Microsoft!!
    -Simon \"SDK\"

  2. #2
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    Personally, i think it is a great idea. one reason why a lo of friends of mine put off buying AV software was cuz they thought it was too expensive. what they need to do now is advertise advertise advertise! the more attention they get, the better chance people are going to download it and protect their PC's. IMHO, the reason why many other free AV programs didn't make it is because they cause a bit of a stir in the security world when thy were released, but died out before they made it to the mainstream. we'll just have to wait and see ...



    slick
    \"Look, Doc, I spent last Tuesday watching fibers on my carpet. And the whole time I was watching my carpet, I was worrying that I, I might vomit. And the whole time, I was thinking, \"I\'m a grown man. I should know what goes on my head.\" And the more I thought about it... the more I realized that I should just blow my brains out and end it all. But then I thought, well, if I thought more about blowing my brains out... I start worrying about what that was going to do to my goddamn carpet. Okay, so, ah-he, that was a GOOD day, Doc. And, and I just want you to give me some pills and let me get on with my life. \" -Roy Waller

  3. #3
    Senior Member Zonewalker's Avatar
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    as some one who uses the AV part of the EZArmor (have used it since the free version called InoculateIT) I can fully recommend Computer Associates software - at least the AV part of it. As long as MS don't get their hands on the code or have a part to play in CA product development I'm quite happy to recommend them above Norton, Symantec and the other big names. I don't know what the firewall part is like but if it is anything like the AV - it's likely to be good.

    Z
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  4. #4
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    Well its a good start except that as soon as that one year of free updates goes by then people might not pay for another year.

    PeacE
    -BoB
    #!/usr/local/bin/perl -s-- -export-a-crypto-system-sig -RSA-in-3-lines-PERL
    ($k,$n)=@ARGV;$m=unpack(H.$w,$m.\"\\0\"x$w),$_=`echo \"16do$w 2+4Oi0$d*-^1[d2%
    Sa2/d0<X+d*La1=z\\U$n%0]SX$k\"[$m*]\\EszlXx++p|dc`,s/^.|\\W//g,print pack(\'H*\'
    ,$_)while read(STDIN,$m,($w=2*$d-1+length($n||die\"$0 [-d] k n\\n\")&~1)/2)

  5. #5
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Yep, just like InnoculateIT..............as soon as a year was up they pulled the update support

    The idea isn't new either H+BEDV Datentechnik have been providing a free home version of their product for years. They even cited the same reasons.

    Cheers

  6. #6
    Senior Member Zonewalker's Avatar
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    actually Nihil I used InoculateIT for 2 years before they pulled the plug... however having said that... if people aren't going to pay for another year then it's likely they wouldn't have purchased an AV prog in the first place. At least this way they are given some kind of sweetner... and possibly some reason to keep up a subscription.

    Just like a crack dealer - get the first free and pay for the rest

    Z
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  7. #7
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Yeah, come to think of it it did run a bit longer, I probably had it for 18 months, and it is a good product.

    I think that it is hearts and minds? you have to persuade people to use it, after all AVG has been free for some years, as has AntiVir.

    Part of the problem I lay at the door of the "package box" providers............(Dell, HP and so on). OK the kit comes with AV but it expires after 3 or 6 months, and people don't want to pay to renew it................it was probably not set up properly in the first place (scan all files, heuristics on, autoupdate on, and so on).

    I think it would help if the package suppliers bought into the project as well?


    Cheers

  8. #8
    Senior Member Zonewalker's Avatar
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    yep can't argue with that - package suppliers should be encouraged to 'buy in' to the project as well - having said that to take an example of a friend of mine... new computer purchased 6 months ago... first 3 months with Symantec AV on there... I told him 6 times that he should either renew the AV after it expired or get AVG (cos it's free and it's not bad)... I get a phone call from him a few weeks ago... he's infected with blaster AND sobig AND half a dozen minor trojans.... what happened to his AV renewal.... couldn't be effing bothered could he! I slapped him SOOoo bad - it's like you say hearts and minds (and by the balls too if I had my way )

    Z
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  9. #9
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    I used to run InnoculateIT for quite a while before the pulled the plug myself. Wasn't a bad little program either. I remember them saying that they were only going to stop distributing it and were still going to provide updates for it, but if I recall correctly they pulled the plug soon after that.
    Sysmin Sys73m47ic
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  10. #10
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    I remember when PGP did this in 1991... released their software for free based only on the belief that everyone should have access to good encryption. They saved the desktop encryption industry, and thanks to this marketing ploy, encryption is not illegal. That was a major turning point for the industry.

    Perhaps doing this with AV will have the same effect. I am hoping it will become a norm that AV companies will release the home-user edition of their software for free, and make their money off marketing to large business. Hopefully this will also be amajor turning point for this industry.

    Now if they only advertised it...
    Government is like fire - a handy servant, but a dangerous master - George Washington
    Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force. - George Washington.

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