This blog is primarily concerned with NIS 2007 (and a bit on NIS 08). I have nothing to say about more recent versions.

This blog is more or less dormant (except for occasional comments on related news), and is being left on-line as a historical record and perhaps as a warning to future generations of anti-virus coders.

2008-06-14

Before installing AVG, read this...

The Register: Here

It's about AVG's stupid Link Scanner.

When I installed AVG the other day, I instinctively deselected that feature. But a few minutes later I noticed my Google searches were infested with extra indicators of safety. So I double-checked and found that the Link Scanner was enabled again. So I turned it off again. Since then, no problems.

But this is a very bad move on the part of AVG. On the above link, the management of AVG has posted a comment indicated that they will find a way to fix this problem.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

AVG is cheating...

I now got a unwanted popup/notification telling me that updates for my AVG 7.5 won't be available after 25jun08.

Which is strange because they promised us that updates would be available until 31dec08. See their FAQs (Enter '1350' in Search in FAQ ) here: 'AVG 7.5 will be supported until December 31, 2008. The support includes: releases of new Virus Base updates, ensuring identical signature-based detection with AVG 8.0; releases of new program updates, fixing known or newly found problems in the program and technical and sales support for AVG 7.5'.

So... They have bloated their program, they have added garbage (the Yahoo toolbar) and now they are telling us blatant lies.

Anonymous said...

I agree that AVG has gone badly wrong just when we most need them. I hope and assume that they will sort out these issues shortly.

But when I think about the hardware firewall in my router, the Windows Defender and monthly MS Malware scans (that have never found anything), and that we get our e-mail via Gmail (which includes virus scanning), and the new Firefox 3.0, it seems that an active virus checker is less and less needed.

Still needed, but much less than before.

Anonymous said...

You're quite right. Never visit websites with cheap, disposable URLs, never open attachments in your e-mail (even when they are from known senders except when they are Word- or Excel-documents). Just follow that set of simple rules and you're probably 99,9% safe from malicious stuff.

I myself have migrated back to AVG 7.5. That is until they stop updating it altogether and then I need to consider which AV I will be going to use.

Anonymous said...

The ominous date of June 25 has passed and AVG 7.5 still receives its usual updates.

I wonder who thought of (and approved) this brilliant idea.

Anonymous said...

From the AVG Free forum: AVG Free SP1 is due for release in the next few weeks (mid july or earlier).

It will be a standard update to existing AVG Free 8.0 installation - no need to install new build.

It will have option in custom install screen to de-select the linkscanner component.

We hope that this new option gives our valued customers the "choice" that they have requested. Those who have experienced genuine problems with web surfing speed can de-select the linkscanner.
However the default "standard installation" will continue to install this valuable security tool to protect users while they surf.