Ms AntiSpyware not virus protection

[Guest]

Am using the beta antispyware from MS and I thought that I could activate the
Control Panel->Security Center, virus protection alert along with windows
update & firewall alerts but the beta is not recognized as protection. Wonder
if there will ever be protection provided by the suppliers of the product who
are in the best position to do so. I mean would a person use either the
telephone or postal service if they were worried about identity theft,
savings loss etc.?

 

[Dan]

That is an interesting thought, Will but this person should have a lock on
their mailbox, send out-going mail at the post office and use a corded phone
with built in security if they are really worried about identity theft.
Actually, this is not a bad idea for everyone to follow my advice. <smile>

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

Am using the beta antispyware from MS and I thought that I could
activate the Control Panel->Security Center, virus protection alert
along with windows update & firewall alerts but the beta is not
recognized as protection. Wonder if there will ever be protection
provided by the suppliers of the product who are in the best position
to do so. I mean would a person use either the telephone or postal
service if they were worried about identity theft, savings loss etc.?

Spyware protection and virus protection are two different things, although
some anti-virus programs are attempting to include some spyware protection.

It is rumored that MS will release some kind of virus protection Tuesday,
but I believe that it is not to run in the background but as needed and then
will only remove a few viruses. (Note that I said "believe", not "know".)

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx

 

[D.Currie]

Am using the beta antispyware from MS and I thought that I could activate
the
Control Panel->Security Center, virus protection alert along with windows
update & firewall alerts but the beta is not recognized as protection.
Wonder
if there will ever be protection provided by the suppliers of the product
who
are in the best position to do so. I mean would a person use either the
telephone or postal service if they were worried about identity theft,
savings loss etc.?

You seem to have answered your own question. It's anti-spyware protection,
not antivirus. That's why it doesn't show up in the virus protection section
of the security center. Viruses and spyware are two different things

As far as MS being in the best position to provide protection, I'd say
that's pretty much open to debate. For a lot of reasons.

And as far as being worried about identity theft, there's a difference
between being careful and being paranoid. There have been plenty of
instances of mail being stolen from mailboxes. Some people avoid that issue
by getting locked PO boxes rather than home delivery, and always taking
their outgoing mail directly to the post office. Others don't leave outgoing
mail in the box overnight and bring the incoming mail in every day and think
that's sufficient protection. But the PO doesn't do anything to prevent
people from stealing mail from home mailboxes. If they catch them doing it,
that's another story, but prevention? Nah. Mailboxes are left open and
unguarded unless the customer has installed something themselves.

Really, it's up to the individual to protect themselves -- as much or as
little as they want to.

 

[R. McCarty]

Microsoft did the best they could under the circumstances. It would
take their in-house developers years to start from scratch. So buying
Giant was a prudent move.

The danger with acquisitions is always loss of innovation. Whenever
small companies develop something unique, the corporate mentality
can kill it very quickly. Hopefully Gates & Co. will give Giant's software
developers a nice bonus and leave them alone to improve the product
and not put them in the endless cycle of meetings with managers to
debate this-and-that.

Personally, I've been reading the AnitSpyware NG's and hope that
Microsoft doesn't employ the age-old "Feature Spread" to ASW. I've
already seen lot's of postings requesting new features or changes.
But I'm guilty as well, since I mentioned inclusion of ASW to Security
Center.

Best to tighten up what it already does and not turn it into one of those
Security Suite types of products.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Am using the beta antispyware from MS and I thought that I could activate the
Control Panel->Security Center, virus protection alert along with windows
update & firewall alerts but the beta is not recognized as protection.

Spyware and Viruses (and trojans) are entirely different classes of
malware. The MS program is Anti *Spyware" (compare Adaware/Spybot) ,
not "Antivirus"

 

[Steve N.]

That is an interesting thought, Will but this person should have a lock on
their mailbox, send out-going mail at the post office and use a corded phone
with built in security if they are really worried about identity theft.
Actually, this is not a bad idea for everyone to follow my advice. <smile>

Don't use a bank or make on-line purchases either.

Steve