Hackers Stole Norton Anti-Virus Source Code

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The only explanation for something like this? Symantec must have been using its own products. :D

Symantec, the anti-virus maker, has confirmed that a hacking group has stolen a “segment” of its flagship product. The group said it would make the source code available. Symantec has confirmed that a “segment” of its flagship Norton anti-virus product’s source code was leaked onto the web this week.
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This should get very interesting if virii get released that may totally bypass any Norton home A/V product...
 
this sounds like very bad news for norton.
 
Now maybe they'll take the time to rewrite their software into something that isn't trash?

Then again windows defender is still free and still better...
 
lilbabycat said:
Now maybe they'll take the time to rewrite their software into something that isn't trash?

Then again windows defender is still free and still better...
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You mean Microsoft Security Essentials?
 
*hackers look at the code*: What the hell? All this does increase the use of system resources and does nothing!
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
This should get very interesting if virii get released that may totally bypass any Norton home A/V product...
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So instead of missing basically everything, it will just miss everything now. :D

Derangel said:
As opposed to the ones Norton already misses?
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Bingo

Azhar said:
You mean Microsoft Security Essentials?
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Windows Defender is a separate component.

ICE_9 said:
Come to McAfee/Intel. Be one of us...
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA McAfee...HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHA

Oh you were being serious? HAHAHAHAHAA

I would take a fully compromised Norton over the complete lack of doing anything except being a virus itself that mccrappy is. Fortunately I won't ever be forced to make that decision..Thanks MSE.
 
*hackers look at code*

heeeeey... waaaait a minute... this looks like a ClamAV fork from before it got moved to SourceForge in 2003....
 
MSE / MBAM Active is about the most effective combo I've ever seen.
 
Oh golly, I just thought of the old Eddie Murphy routine and laughed out loud...this time it's Norton taking it up the butt.
 
Who needs DOSbox when you can just install Norton or McAfee to slow your system down?
 
LOL... this is really funny. Guess we will see if it does do something apart from slowing down systems and causing instability.
 
The code wasn't with Symantec, it was with a 3rd party. Symantec servers where not breached.

It was ancient code from years ago and doesn't reflect anything in the current products.

I like both products myself, and use and recommend them, and yes I work there too.
 
People keep saying Norton is a system hog and slows down systems...I don't have any problems with my system, with norton 360 installed and installing it only increased my startup mem by 200MB, which leaves 6.6GB free....what exactly does it hog? I mean, if you can show somehow that Norton really does blow, then I'm all ears, but from the comments so far I'm not having any of those problems described so far. My system is fast, my system resources aren't affected much, and in fact, Norton has found things Malwarebytes has not, and both have had occasion to give false positives. All in all, I think that perhaps all of your experiences with Norton are outdated. Still, being wrong would only mean I could improve my systems security :p
 
Using NoScript is like having god mode on when browsing the internet. Functionality when I need it, security when I don't.
 
Spudsdude said:
The code wasn't with Symantec, it was with a 3rd party. Symantec servers where not breached.
It was ancient code from years ago and doesn't reflect anything in the current products.
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So all the people who haven't updated thier Norton AV in the last 3 years are really going to be in trouble now ;)
 
lilbabycat said:
Now maybe they'll take the time to rewrite their software into something that isn't trash?

Then again windows defender is still free and still better...
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Great Tiger said:
*hackers look at the code*: What the hell? All this does increase the use of system resources and does nothing!
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avatardelta said:
Good, maybe they'll make it less TERRIBLE and FULL OF BLOAT.
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so you probably haven't actually used Norton in about 2 years and are just all jumping on the lets bash Norton bandwagon...

Norton did a massive revamp of their AV just a while back and it improved massively and become highly rated on av-comparatives.



PornoSatan said:
Firefox
NoScript
Private email
Common sense


Haven't had a virus/rootkit in years
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Your one of those :rolleyes: common sense will save me!
 
lilbabycat said:
Slowing systems down to the point where you can't use them clearly skews the graphs in their favor.

and to the other people, yeah I meant MSE.
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N360 and NIS is garbage, but plain NAV is decent. SEP12 is not too bad as well. Have you even used any of their 2011+ products on a computer newer than a P4?
 
/usr/home said:
How do you know you don't have a virus? What's there to tell you if you do or don't have anything hiding?
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I know because I am a responsible user who doesn't do risky stuff outside of a virtual machine. I take care with software updates using Secunia PSI and NoScript in Firefox.

There is no need to be paranoid that you have a virus. It's simply confidence and years of not getting a virus while not using antivirus. It's purely psychological. When you get a virus you notice it anyway because of system errors and performance problems. I have fixed literally hundreds of virus and spyware riddled systems and I have come to the conclusion antivirus and security software is a complete waste of time for responsible skilled users. The people who get viruses are people who are reckless and can't be helped even if you give them security software.
 
Nothing important here, at least not yet. Wake me up when something can be substantiated. Otherwise, these news articles are just trolling for General Mayhem! ;)

Firefox 3.6.25 + NoScript
Tired of the rat-race updates breaking add-ons
 
niconx said:
I know because I am a responsible user who doesn't do risky stuff outside of a virtual machine. I take care with software updates using Secunia PSI and NoScript in Firefox.

There is no need to be paranoid that you have a virus. It's simply confidence and years of not getting a virus while not using antivirus. It's purely psychological. When you get a virus you notice it anyway because of system errors and performance problems. I have fixed literally hundreds of virus and spyware riddled systems and I have come to the conclusion antivirus and security software is a complete waste of time for responsible skilled users. The people who get viruses are people who are reckless and can't be helped even if you give them security software.
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Oh gawd. One of YOU guys. :rolleyes:

Hate to break it to you but you don't have to be dong anything "risky" to get a virus. Unless you stay completely isolated and off the grid you may be safer but even then there's been instances of driver install software being compromised.

It's like the old "I don't need to see a doctor! I'm completely healthy because I eat right and stay away from people" while the cancer eats away at them from the inside.
 
niconx said:
I know because I am a responsible user who doesn't do risky stuff outside of a virtual machine. I take care with software updates using Secunia PSI and NoScript in Firefox.

There is no need to be paranoid that you have a virus. It's simply confidence and years of not getting a virus while not using antivirus. It's purely psychological. When you get a virus you notice it anyway because of system errors and performance problems. I have fixed literally hundreds of virus and spyware riddled systems and I have come to the conclusion antivirus and security software is a complete waste of time for responsible skilled users. The people who get viruses are people who are reckless and can't be helped even if you give them security software.
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Really? :rolleyes: What about viruses that are designed not to slow you down but farm critical information such as passwords and banking info? The AV developers could release a fix or patch for it but you'd be oblivious to it all because, GASP, you have COMMON SENSE! :D

Ignorance is bliss I guess ;)
 
nutzo said:
So all the people who haven't updated thier Norton AV in the last 3 years are really going to be in trouble now ;)
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Older than that. it was Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition from 2006. If anyone is using it still it proabably hasn't had updates in a couple of years.
 
PeterTHX said:
Oh gawd. One of YOU guys. :rolleyes:

Hate to break it to you but you don't have to be dong anything "risky" to get a virus.
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NoScript and a software inventory tool like PSI seriously mitigate those risks. You are still very likely to get a virus with antivirus software too because of how long it takes to add the signature for such attacks.
 
soulesschild said:
Really? :rolleyes: What about viruses that are designed not to slow you down but farm critical information such as passwords and banking info? The AV developers could release a fix or patch for it but you'd be oblivious to it all because, GASP, you have COMMON SENSE! :D

Ignorance is bliss I guess ;)
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I've never seen a virus that ran well and I have fixed hundreds of systems. Yet again noscript mitigates risks of click jacking and cross scripting. Again, I use virtual machines to do things that might be risky. So even if a virus did infect, it would only infect a throw away virtual machine. I have very little faith in any antivirus software, they are all bad.
 
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