Tag Archives: Rick Moy

Anti-virus Products Struggle Against Exploits

August 23, 2010

Roughly half of the exploits tested were exact copies of the first exploit code to be made public against the vulnerability. NSS also tested detection for an equal number of exploit variants, those which exploit the same vulnerability but use slightly different entry points in the targeted system’s memory. None of the exploits used evasion techniques commonly employed by real-life exploits to disguise themselves or hide from intrusion detection systems.

Among all ten products, NSS found that the average detection rate against original exploits was 76 percent, and that only three out of ten products stopped all of the original exploits. The average detection against exploits variants was even lower, at 58 percent, NSS found.

Anti-virus is a Poor Substitute for Common Sense

June 25, 2010

A new study about the (in)efficacy of anti-virus software in detecting the latest malware threats is a much-needed reminder that staying safe online is more about using your head than finding the right mix or brand of security software.

Last week, security software testing firm NSS Labs released the results of its latest controversial test of how the major anti-virus products fared in detecting real-life malware from actual malicious Web sites: Most of the products took an average of more than 45 hours — nearly two days — to detect the latest threats.