Souldnât, ladies and gentlemen moderators, the two threads speaking of Symantec be merged, as basically the same issues are discussed on both, making, assuming it ever has been readable from the start, the all of it now totally unreadable?
But still a basic issue has been talked of, e.g.:
That's why prevention is gold. Install your software before being infected.
but not enough underlined.
As everyone likes to play with words, no one made a definition of a âclean systemâ.
On a malware basis, it would be a fresh computer installation, with no software whatsoever.
On a spyware basis, it is somewhat less easy: the only fact of running whatever âmodernâ windows os sells your underwear in Redmond, and itâs even worse with oem installed computers, where this situation extends to pre-installed softwares (âmedia centersâ and soforth).
Strictly speaking, the only way to be quite sure that your virgin system is malware and spyware safe is to install yourself the os to a virgin disk and to run appropriate softwares in order to disable windows spyware services.
Next, you would install your security software before having plugged any permanent fast internet connexion, as they represent a real threat even for a few unprotected minutes.
We would therefore face two situations:
-the new cis user has, offline, not only the os cd, but also the needed security softwares: the question is, now, and if not formerly having another computer, a good friend, or having meanwhile formatted the only computer, how this user would have such downloads under hand.
-the new cis user was previously using some other security software; he might have taken all precautions for not running malware or spyware that he cannot definitely be sure of it, having two consequences: if heâs sure of that, he doesnât need cis, and if he is not, cis cannot pretend anymore to its prevention action since the damage is already done.
Symantec (i donât like neither advocate for), at least makes one point: the new user is able to be protected either from having bought the software previous to installation, either from running a (lousy) oem system bundled with Symantec.
In order to pretend that no malware/spyware can hit the system (including cis ones?) and that cis relies on prevention, cis must be able to provide to new users whatever means of offline installation, like a iso or a exe in a cd coming with a computing magazine.
As long as it shall not be done, Symantec and others will be able to pretend, no one cares if itâs true or false (repeating myself, itâs only a business issue), that maybe cis would succeed in post-installation protection, but definitely not in pre-installation prevention and disinfection.
and it was not a false positive.