Kaspersky Lab Uncovers Malware on Already Protected PCs
It just goes to show you that no security solution is infallible. Kaspersky Lab announced that it uncovered malware on many PCs that already had a security solution in place – even on PCs protected by reputable security products.
There is an internet meme out there that doubts the effectiveness of antivirus products or security solutions. The meme, as you can see below, goes something like this: "Not sure if antivirus is awesome at protecting my computer or just terrible at detecting viruses". According to findings brought forward by Kaspersky Lab, it may be the latter. Your PC, even though protected by a security solution, it may have active malware on it.
Doubtful Fry on antivirus products
Kaspersky Security Scan, as you may already know, is a free security solution for Windows that can be used to check a PC’s security status. The tool will scan your system and it will tell you if your PC is infected with malware or if there are any other security issues you may need to address. The tool can be run on any PC that meets the following system requirements: 1Ghz processor or better, 512MB of RAM or more, 480MB of free space, internet connection, Windows operating system.
More than 250,000 Kaspersky Security Scan users with computers running up-to-date security software anonymously provided data to Kaspersky Lab. After analyzing this data Kaspersky Lab found that there was active malware on a significant number of Windows computers. I remind you that said computers already had an anti-malware solution in place. It’s just that the solutions failed to uncover the malware. An even more surprising finding was that some of these security solutions were furnished by well-known IT security providers.
Kaspersky Lab is not naming any names, it is keeping the names of these vendors to itself. It is also keeping the exact number of PCs who was active malware on them a secret as well. The only thing that Kaspersky Lab disclosed is that the problem affects 4-5.5% of users, depending on the vendor. The infection rates of computers with antivirus products also varied by country, from 3% in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to 10% in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Egypt.
"The data received by our experts once again confirms that threats are multiplying so fast that even today's security solutions are not always able to deal with them promptly,” said Oleg Ishanov, Director of Anti-Malware Research, Kaspersky Lab. “We hope that the vendors notified by us will be able to release prompt updates to eliminate threats to their clients’ security. In addition, we expect that other security vendors will uncover possible shortcomings in their competitors’ products and encourage an equal exchange of such information. There will always be more virus writers than companies developing antivirus products, and only by ensuring a prompt exchange of information can we respond to the growing number of cyberthreats adequately.”
Kaspersky Lab advises PC users to get its free Kaspersky Security Scan tool and find out if their PCs are properly protected against malware.
There is an internet meme out there that doubts the effectiveness of antivirus products or security solutions. The meme, as you can see below, goes something like this: "Not sure if antivirus is awesome at protecting my computer or just terrible at detecting viruses". According to findings brought forward by Kaspersky Lab, it may be the latter. Your PC, even though protected by a security solution, it may have active malware on it.
Doubtful Fry on antivirus products
Kaspersky Security Scan, as you may already know, is a free security solution for Windows that can be used to check a PC’s security status. The tool will scan your system and it will tell you if your PC is infected with malware or if there are any other security issues you may need to address. The tool can be run on any PC that meets the following system requirements: 1Ghz processor or better, 512MB of RAM or more, 480MB of free space, internet connection, Windows operating system.
More than 250,000 Kaspersky Security Scan users with computers running up-to-date security software anonymously provided data to Kaspersky Lab. After analyzing this data Kaspersky Lab found that there was active malware on a significant number of Windows computers. I remind you that said computers already had an anti-malware solution in place. It’s just that the solutions failed to uncover the malware. An even more surprising finding was that some of these security solutions were furnished by well-known IT security providers.
Kaspersky Lab is not naming any names, it is keeping the names of these vendors to itself. It is also keeping the exact number of PCs who was active malware on them a secret as well. The only thing that Kaspersky Lab disclosed is that the problem affects 4-5.5% of users, depending on the vendor. The infection rates of computers with antivirus products also varied by country, from 3% in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to 10% in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Egypt.
"The data received by our experts once again confirms that threats are multiplying so fast that even today's security solutions are not always able to deal with them promptly,” said Oleg Ishanov, Director of Anti-Malware Research, Kaspersky Lab. “We hope that the vendors notified by us will be able to release prompt updates to eliminate threats to their clients’ security. In addition, we expect that other security vendors will uncover possible shortcomings in their competitors’ products and encourage an equal exchange of such information. There will always be more virus writers than companies developing antivirus products, and only by ensuring a prompt exchange of information can we respond to the growing number of cyberthreats adequately.”
Kaspersky Lab advises PC users to get its free Kaspersky Security Scan tool and find out if their PCs are properly protected against malware.
