Winmag.com's
Win Letter 125
By Mike Elgan March 14, 2001
"Virus Hype and Anti-Hype
The threat of computer viruses is over-hyped to boost sales of anti-virus
software. Or is it?
Anti-virus software makers like Symantec, McAfee, and Panda exist to
vanquish the scourge of computer viruses. These companies ostensibly
fight on the front lines of a global effort to destroy all viruses.
The very existence of viruses, however, is what makes money for these
companies. Big, bad, virulent, destructive, and scary viruses dramatically
boost sales of anti-virus software. From a financial perspective, bad viruses
are good business.
So when anti-virus companies tell us about dangerous new viruses, are they
telling us the truth? Or are they exaggerating virus threats to boost sales?
On the one hand, cynical observers such as Vmyths.com correctly point
out that viruses don't cause damage in proportion to the media attention
they get. Reading the technology press, for example - or even the Wall
Street Journal - you'd come to the conclusion that a horrific plague of
computer viruses is poised to wipe out the Internet and destroy the global
economy. It appears, however, that there were more news reports about the
recent virus "NakedWife" than there were actual files infected.
The reality is that viruses can be annoying, and even destroy files once in a
while, but they're hardly as ruinous of both time and computer files as, say,
Windows itself. Think about it: How much data have you lost over the years
to random system crashes or human error? Compare that to how much
data you've lost to computer viruses. It's probably no contest.
The anti-virus companies routinely make viruses sound more dangerous
than they really are. Personally, I get annoyed by the constant screaming
headlines about viruses, over-excited "research center" warnings, and
absurd "services" like McAfee's World Virus Map.
On the other hand, it's the widespread embrace of anti-virus software that
make viruses less threatening. The Melissa virus and its aftermath did more
to raise awareness about viruses than all the anti-virus industry warnings
combined. Since then, no virus has caused major widespread damage,
largely because everyone got scared and installed good anti-virus software.
Here's how I look at it: If you practice safe computing and do three basic things - install and regularly update anti-virus software, never open executable e-mail attachments unless you're sure they don't contain viruses and back up your files regularly - then you have nothing to worry about."
[mark's note: dah!] |
