Secunia: Security suites not blocking exploits
Published: 16 Oct 2008 11:06 BST
A new report from Secunia aims to raise awareness about the need to patch vulnerabilities and block malware from desktops.
The report found that "security vendors do not focus on vulnerabilities". While Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 bested the 11 other suites tested, Secunia found that the product "detected a mere 64 out of 300 exploits, or less than one-fourth, leaving 236 exploits undetected". Overall, the 12 products tested all received an 'F' in the report.
The Secunia test departed from the traditional testing done by organisations such as AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.org, which use collections of malware to demonstrate the on-demand and heuristic capabilities of security products.
Secunia used exploits — not viruses and worms — to demonstrate the need for users to patch vulnerabilities, as well as have a good firewall, antivirus and other anti-malware protection.
The company said criminals are most likely to use exploits these days, and faulted the tested security vendors that said their products could protect against any threat.
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Secunia did single out one product, Kaspersky Internet Security, as providing a vulnerability scanner, yet Kaspersky also fared poorly on the test.
However, Alex Eckelberry of Sunbelt Software described Secunia's report as a "useless test", with others also criticising the methodology used.
There is a move within the security industry to standardise malware testing. The newly formed Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization has stated that there is a "global need for improvement in the objectivity, quality and relevance of anti-malware testing methodologies".
The group is currently soliciting opinions on two papers, one on testing best practices and the other on fundamental principals for malware testing.
Credit: Secunia exploits security suites flaws from CNET News
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