The superiority claim is unbiased, from an independent tester at Secure Computing. .
MCAF official press release below.
McAfee Accuses Symantec of False and Misleading Advertising; Demands Worldwide Recall of Norton Antivirus 2.0; New Independent Macro Virus Test Results From Secure Computing Magazine Cast Serious Doubt Upon Symantec's Product Claims
BusinessWire, Wednesday, September 18, 1996 at 10:22
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 1996--McAfee
(NASDAQ:MCAF) today announced that it has accused Symantec
(NASDAQ:SYMC) of Cupertino, Calif. of making false and misleading
claims regarding its Norton AntiVirus 2.0 software, to the detriment
of Symantec's customers and the reputation of the anti-virus industry.
The Symantec claims, which exaggerate the virus detection
capabilities of Norton AntiVirus, have been communicated through
Symantec's advertising, product packaging, and web site. Bolstering
McAfee's charge is a new independent Macro virus test released this
week from Secure Computing Magazine, which shows that Symantec only
detects 48% of known macro viruses.
In a letter sent last week to Symantec officials, McAfee called
for Symantec to take a series of corrective actions, including the
prompt removal of all offending boxes from the worldwide channel,
including those on store shelves; the prompt written notification of
the inaccuracies to all known Norton AntiVirus customers and users
who registers or purchased after the earlier of the first shipment of
the offending boxes or first dissemination of the offending
comparison; and substantial trade advertising and replacement boxes
expressly recanting the inaccuracies.
Norton AntiVirus Packaging Claims 100% Protection Against Word
Macro Viruses
The packaging of Norton Antivirus claims that Norton AntiVirus
detects and removes all known Macro viruses. In the independent test
published this week by Secure Computing, however, Norton AntiVirus
was shown to detect only 48% of the 42 known macro viruses and was
shown to remove only 46%. McAfee's VirusScan, which earned the
highest score in the test, was shown to detect and remove 81% of the
42 known Macro viruses.
"Because new viruses are being discovered each day, it is
virtually impossible to detect all computer viruses," said Scott
Gordon, McAfee anti-virus product manager. "Symantec's irresponsible
marketing tactics not only harms the consumer, but also damages the
credibility of the entire anti-virus industry."
Secure Computing Exposes Symantec's Poor Macro Virus Detection
Capabilities
Secure Computing's macro virus test results indicate that
Symantec's macro virus detection and removal capabilities are
substantially inferior to McAfee VirusScan and the industry. In
Secure Computing's comprehensive macro virus test, the publication
analyzed 10 leading anti-virus software solutions on their ability to
detect and cure over 40 popular macro viruses. Virus samples were
collected from a variety of sources, both researchers and end users,
and were verified for authenticity. Each vendor's product was the
most current at the time and individual results were reviewed by each
vendor prior to publication.
"In our tests, McAfee's VirusScan was the industry leader,
beating all other products in this competitive review of macro virus
detection," said Secure Computing in CompuServe posting made on
September 17 (GO NSCAvir, filename "m-test.pdf"). "The package was
good in all areas and showed an equal mix of protection between
on-access and on-demand scanning. Its repair facility was likewise
impeccable."
*T
Macro Virus McAfee VirusScan Symantec Norton Anti-Virus
v.2.05 v.95.0a
Detect Repair Detect Repair
Antidmv No No Yes Yes
Atom No No No No
Birthday No No No No
Boom Yes Yes Yes Yes
Concept.e Yes Yes No No
Concept.her Yes Yes No No
Colors Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colors.b Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colors.c Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colors.d Yes Yes Yes Yes
Concept Yes Yes Yes Yes
Concept.b Yes Yes Yes Yes
Concept.c Yes Yes No No
Concept.d Yes Yes No No
Divini Yes Yes No No
DMV Yes Yes Yes Yes
Doggie Yes Yes No No
Extra Yes Yes No No
Formatc -
(Trojan) No No Yes Yes
Friendly Yes Yes No No
Goldfish Yes Yes No No
Hot Yes Yes Yes Yes
Imposter Yes Yes Yes Yes
Imposter.a Yes Yes Yes Yes
Imposter.b Yes Yes Yes Yes
Irish Yes Yes Yes Yes
Killdll Yes Yes No No
Laroux No No Yes
MDMA Yes Yes Yes Yes
NOP Yes Yes Yes Yes
Npad Yes Yes No No
Nuclear Yes Yes No No
Nuclear.b Yes Yes No No
Phantom Yes Yes No No
Polite No No No No
Reflex No No No No
Telefoni Yes Yes No No
Wazzu Yes Yes No No
Wazzu.a Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wazzu.b Yes Yes No No
Wassu.c Yes Yes No No
Xenixos Yes Yes Yes Yes
Total Macro
Viruses Detected/
Removed 34 34 20 19
Percentage 81% 81% 48% 46%
*T
Symantec's Advertising Claims Rely upon Suspicious Virus Detection
Study
In its advertising and on its Web site, Symantec draws a series
of conclusions from a supposedly "independent" study conducted by
Norman Hirsch, who is actually a Symantec reseller.
"Many in the industry suspect that the Hirsch study was actually
commissioned by Symantec," continued Scott Gordon. "When one
examines the testing methodology of the Hirsch study, it becomes
immediately apparent that McAfee was put at a deliberate
disadvantage."
While Hirsch tested the July release of Norton AntiVirus, he
tested the June version of VirusScan. McAfee's July release, which
came out just 11 days later, would have scored significantly better.
Furthermore, Hirsch's peculiar choice of viruses, in which he
completely omitted well-known Macro viruses, casts additional doubt
upon the sponsorship and motivations behind the test. Excluded from
the Hirsch test were several well known Macro viruses which the
Secure Computing test demonstrated Symantec could not detect.
The study upon which Symantec draws its conclusions is fraught
with errors, misleading information, and questionable testing
methodologies. According to Ian Whalley, editor of Virus Bulletin, a
well-respected anti-virus newsletter published in the U.K., "The
scores in the Norman Hirsch test of July 18, 1996 are not in
question, however the methodology and subsequent presentation of the
results used in Symantec advertising is open to interpretation. Of
the viruses used 1/8in the test by Hirsch 3/8, only three - Concept,
Impostor, and Wazu - are actually in the wild. Format.c, which was
listed in Hirsch's test as a virus, is actually a trojan, not a
virus. Therefore, Hirsch's claim that each sample was replicated to
ensure that the virus was functional is simply not true."
"While many third party tests are conducted under reasonable
conditions using appropriate standards and controls, many such tests
are flawed in a variety of ways," said Peter Tippet, president of
the NCSA (National Computer Security Association --
ncsa.com). "Prior to accepting the results from such
third-party testing, consumers should ask several questions:
1. Is the testing organization truly independent, or is there a
hidden agenda which has motivated the test? Tests conducted by
vendors, resellers, or others who have a vested interest in the
outcome should be weighed carefully. 2. Does the tester use the
latest version of each product included in the test? Side by side
comparisons of outdated products are misleading and unfair. 3. Was
the test suite accurate and comprehensive using a real-world suite of
viruses? In order for the test results to reach an accurate
conclusion about the anti-virus software's detection capabilities,
tests should be conducted against viruses that are actually in the
wild. The NCSA's product certification program carefully addresses
each of the above three concerns."
Symantec Continues to Lose Marketshare to McAfee VirusScan
Despite Symantec's advertising claim that Norton Anti-Virus is
"far and away the best-selling anti-virus software," market research
tells a different story. VirusScan consistently out-sells Norton
AntiVirus, according to independent market research surveys conducted
by IDC, PC Data. and best-seller charts published by software
distributors such as Ingram Micro. A 1995 IDC research report, for
example, named McAfee VirusScan as the world's number one
best-selling anti-virus package with a 68% marketshare for DOS and
Windows PC desktops.
"Symantec appears to have repeatedly and blatantly mislead
software consumers about the capabilities of Norton AntiVirus," said
Bill Larson, McAfee's president, chairman and CEO. "Once again,
Symantec has tried to fool customers by deliberately exaggerating the
capabilities of Norton AntiVirus. We call on Gordon Eubanks,
Symantec's CEO, to come clean and own up to - and correct - his
company's false and misleading claims."
Not the First Time Symantec Has Engaged in False, Misleading, or
Libelous Marketing
Symantec's latest brush with the law is part of a well documented
and intentional international campaign designed to deliberately
mislead software consumers and libel McAfee. In September 1995, for
example, the San Jose Mercury News and InformationWeek Magazine
reported that Symantec had deliberately exaggerated the
virus-detection capabilities of its Norton AntiVirus software. As a
result of these public disclosures and industry pressure, Symantec
was forced to correct its advertising and product packaging.
In January of 1996, Symantec's questionable marketing tactics
were brought to the attention of the U.K. Advertising Standards
Authority. Results of Symantec's questionable product claims were
made public by the Authority in August, 1996.
In 1995, Australia's advertising commission found Symantec guilty
of making grossly inaccurate and defamatory statements in its Norton
AntiVirus packaging and advertising. As a result of the Commission's
findings, Symantec was forced to temporarily withdraw Norton
AntiVirus from the Australian market until the misleading statements
were corrected.
McAfee Posts Response on Web Site
Effective today, McAfee has made additional information available
on its Web site (www.mcafee.com) regarding Symantec's misleading
claims. Founded in 1989, McAfee is a leading worldwide vendor of
Network Security and Network Management products for enterprise
networks. The Company is also a leader in Internet and Web-based
electronic software distribution. McAfee is headquartered in Santa
Clara, California and can be reached by phone at 408/988-3832 or by
fax at 408/970-9727. McAfee's Web address is
mcafee.com.
CONTACT: McAfee
Scott Gordon, 408/653-3026
or
Dovetail Public Relations
Mark Coker, 408/395-3600
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET GOVERNMENT PRODUCT |
