Symantec press release backfires

Watch out for your marketing department...

It makes a change to be reporting on the under-hyping of a virus threat, rather than the usual story of anti-virus companies prostrating themselves to journalists, desperate to be given a couple of column inches in the main-stream media.

According to Wired magazine, 'Security firm Symantec withheld information about at least one big cyberthreat for hours after spotting it, possibly harming millions of Internet users' - a claim backed up by a press release on the Symantec website. The Wired article quotes some enraged security experts, with terms such as 'gross negligence' and 'accessory to [a] crime' being bandied about.

The Register takes a slightly steadier view, however, and claims that it was unlikely Symantec really did know in advance - instead they blame 'inflated marketing claims' for the press release.

If you're in the mood for even more unhinged commentary, it's worth looking at the Slashdot thread about this - virii, conspiracy theories, and general dislike of Symantec - in fairness, is it any surprise the pseudo-geeks have such a poor understanding of the anti-virus industry, considering the number of appalling press releases?

17 February 2003

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