McAfee/AVERT announces dailt DAT file release

D

David H. Lipman

The 4433 daily dat files have been released and are available for download.

Important Update on DATs from AVERT
Today's threats are mounting as never before. While the
worldwide spread of threats are not populating as in the
past, AVERT continues to see more new threats per day than
any other period in history.

To address this issue AVERT is pleased to announce that
beginning today, February 24, 2005 the DATS will be
available on a Daily basis!

In addition the AVERT DAT Notification Service you are
subscribed to will also be operating on a daily basis.

For more information on the DAILY DATS or if you have
any questions please see:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/daily-dat-faq.asp.


The various 4433 daily dat file packages can be found at
http://www.mcafeesecurity.com/us/downloads/default.asp.

McAfee Security Engine End-Of-Life (EOL) Program

IS YOUR ENGINE UP-TO-DATE? - Anti-virus is only as good as its last update!

Current Engine Information by platform:
- Microsoft: 4400
- Netware: 4400
- UNIX: 4400
- Macintosh OS X: 4240

Engine Security Tips from AVERT and the McAfee Security Engine Development
Team
- Updating your DAT regularly files is essential and a MUST!
- Updating your scan engine is just as important and a MUST
- An old Engine WON'T catch some of today's threats
- Sometimes architectural changes to the way DAT files and scan
engine work together make it critical for you to update your scan
engine
- AVERT says it makes sense to have as part of your Security Policy
- Program an Engine Update process to take advantage of the latest
technology and stay protected!

The Problem
Between 250 and 400 new detections are added to the DATs monthly by AVERT.
If you're not up-to-date, you are vulnerable to any one of them that gets a
foothold in the field (a.k.a. 'in the wild'). McAfee AVERT releases
regular DAT files, ensuring that full protection is added to all McAfee
products.

The DAT files contain the information required to detect and remove threats
- what to look for and where to look for it. However, today's threats are
evolving almost on a daily basis. Software providers continue to have
operating systems and applications changes that can change the way a
program acts or works and a virus-scanning program may not understand the
changes.

The Solution
Taking this into account McAfee Security regularly updates its scan engine
used by ALL McAfee Security virus detection and removal products. The
engine understands all the different structures in which a virus could lurk
- EXE files, MS Office files, Linux files, etc. Occasionally these changes
require us to make significant architectural changes to the engine as well
as the DAT files. AVERT strongly recommends users of ALL McAfee Security
virus scanning products update the scan engines in the products they have
deployed as part of a sound Security best practices program.

Here's how to check your engine version. Right-click on the McAfee shield
in the system tray, select 'About' and look at the 'Scan engine' version
number. If you need to update, you should update your scan engine
immediately.

McAfee Security Engine End-Of-Life (EOL) Program
Because of the evolving malicious code threat, users should update their
engines as soon as possible upon the release of McAfee Security's latest
scanning technology. When a new engine is released the existing engine
will begin its countdown to its EOL, and will therefore no longer be
supported by McAfee Security. Information on the McAfee Security Engine
End of Life policy and a full list of supported scan engines and products
can be found at:
http://www.mcafeesecurity.com/us/products/mcafee/end_of_life.htm

Best Regards,

McAfee AVERT - Anti Virus and Vulnerability Research, Analysis, and
Solutions visit us at www.avertlabs.com
 
H

Howard Harris

The 4433 daily dat files have been released and are available for download.
Has anyone running a home edition of VirusScan managed to automatically
update their software with this daily update? I seem stuck on the last
weekly 4432 dat file using VirusScan build 8.0.41and McAfee SecurityCentre
informs me I am up-to-date ...
 
D

David H. Lipman

| On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 12:57:51 -0500, David H. Lipman wrote:
|
|| The 4433 daily dat files have been released and are available for download.
||
| Has anyone running a home edition of VirusScan managed to automatically
| update their software with this daily update? I seem stuck on the last
| weekly 4432 dat file using VirusScan build 8.0.41and McAfee SecurityCentre
| informs me I am up-to-date ...
|
| --
| Howard

McAfee Retail VirusScan v8.x should automatically check the update site quite often. I
believe you can see the schedule in the MS Task Manger. and it autogenerates the task so if
you alter it or delte it it is replaced by the software.
 
N

Nevans

Has anyone running a home edition of VirusScan managed to automatically
update their software with this daily update? I seem stuck on the last
weekly 4432 dat file using VirusScan build 8.0.41and McAfee SecurityCentre
informs me I am up-to-date ...

I just updated VirusScan to 4433 in home version 5.21.1000.

Nevans
 
O

Oh God It's Him Again

OK, but I also have retail vs 8, with autoupdates enabled, but still haven't
been updated to 4433 - still showing 4432 - and when i check for updates I'm
told I am uptodate.
 
H

Howard Harris

McAfee Retail VirusScan v8.x should automatically check the update site quite often. I
believe you can see the schedule in the MS Task Manger. and it autogenerates the task so if
you alter it or delte it it is replaced by the software.

Oh it is checking okay, just not finding anything and telling me I am up to
date
 
H

Howard Harris

I just updated VirusScan to 4433 in home version 5.21.1000.

Thanks for that. I just tried again and VirusScan 8 tells me I am up to
date with 4432. Hm ...
 
L

LPV

Howard said:
Thanks for that. I just tried again and VirusScan 8 tells me I am up to
date with 4432. Hm ...


It's like I have a twin <g>.

Same situation here, Howard. I have autoupdate turned off, so am starting
to wonder if that may be causing the problem, although I can't understand
why it would.

Someone wrote in the McAfee forums that 4434 is supposed to be available for
download later today (25 Feb). I think I'll wait until tonight, then try
again.

Loren
 
H

Howard Harris

Someone wrote in the McAfee forums that 4434 is supposed to be available for
download later today (25 Feb). I think I'll wait until tonight, then try
again.

It's already tonight where I am :(
 
L

LPV

It's already tonight where I am :(


Well, get to bed then. :)

I'm going from memory here, so this could be dangerous. I believe the post
to the forum regarding 4434 mentioned the time of release would be 6:00 pm,
GMT.

Hope this helps...I don't have time right now to go back to the forums and
track down that post.

Loren
 
D

David H. Lipman

| I wrote:
|
||| Someone wrote in the McAfee forums that 4434 is supposed to be available
||| for
||| download later today (25 Feb). I think I'll wait until tonight, then try
||| again.
|
|
| Howard wrote:
|
|| It's already tonight where I am :(
|
|
| Well, get to bed then. :)
|
| I'm going from memory here, so this could be dangerous. I believe the post
| to the forum regarding 4434 mentioned the time of release would be 6:00 pm,
| GMT.
|
| Hope this helps...I don't have time right now to go back to the forums and
| track down that post.
|
| Loren

I received email ~1300hrs Eastern Time US that they were available for download.
 
H

Howard Harris

I'm going from memory here, so this could be dangerous. I believe the post
to the forum regarding 4434 mentioned the time of release would be 6:00 pm,
GMT.

Hope this helps...I don't have time right now to go back to the forums and
track down that post.

BrettR Site Administrator has now posted in the thread
http://forums.mcafeehelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=42242

"The daily dat files are currently only for the Corporate side of McAfee."
 
H

Howard Harris

Thanks, Howard. That clears up the confusion for me...I ain't no Corporate
Weezul. :)

There was enough confusion here for me to think I was back with Symantec
*shudder*
 
H

Howard Harris

Thanks, Howard. That clears up the confusion for me...I ain't no Corporate
Weezul. :)

I have now found a clear statement about daily DAT updates and consumer AVs
here http://forums.mcafeehelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=42303

"McAfee has recently begun releasing Daily DAT file updates for its
corporate antivirus (AV) products.

These Daily DAT files are for CORPORATE PRODUCTS ONLY, and currently are
not intended for the Consumer AV products.

Consumer AV products will begin using Daily DATs later this summer.
Consumer products will continue to receive weekly DAT file updates
automatically. Additionally, Emergency DATs will continue to be released
during virus outbreak activity. McAfee Consumer customers should not apply
the daily DAT files to their products at this time."
 
H

Howard Harris

Mine is 40.4432, and Security Center says up to date.

Turns out daily updates are only for corporate products and the rest of us
will have to wait until summer
http://forums.mcafeehelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=42303

Perhaps McAfee reckons its non-corporate customers have such low
self-esteem they will not respond negatively to being treated like this and
all who need to do so will happily renew their licenses/upgrade before
being able to access daily DAT files. Great PR ...
 

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