Netflix reportedly is in the process of dumping its antivirus software and placing all its faith in an alternative solution to protect its more than 60 million subscribers from online nastiness, a move that prompted one pundit to pronounce the death of antivirus software yet again. Such dire pronouncements have been made for years, and they’re likely to be made for many years to come. “Antivirus persists, so I think calling it dead is not prudent,” said Jason Brvenik, the principal engineer in Cisco’s Security Business Group.
I'm a gamer, a gamer that used to run game servers, and the security of gaming environments has always been of interest to me. Specifically, how do you stop cheaters and exploiters from ruining everyone's game play experience? The problem is very similar in a way to the problem of dealing with all kinds of malware, only a little more specialized and specific.
Many gamers will tell you that software based automated detection of cheat applications is worthless, as there are so many ways around that detection. But the truth is software based automated cheat detection plays the same role as antivirus software does these days, it provides baseline protection. It stops the 90% of cheaters who cheat because cheating is easy.
Antivirus won't stop a determined, skilled hacker. Automated software based cheat detection won't stop a determined, skill hacker either. But both will stop the casual attackers dead in their tracks, and allow those responsible for securing whatever environment is their domain to focus on the determined and skilled attackers, and on what can be done to offer protection from their attacks. It reduces the background noise and makes the truly destructive attackers easier to identify.
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Netflix Move Prompts Premature Antivirus Software Obit
Posted by: John P. Mello Jr. September 11, 2015 11:00 AMNetflix reportedly is in the process of dumping its antivirus software and placing all its faith in an alternative solution to protect its more than 60 million subscribers from online nastiness, a move that prompted one pundit to pronounce the death of antivirus software yet again. Such dire pronouncements have been made for years, and they’re likely to be made for many years to come. “Antivirus persists, so I think calling it dead is not prudent,” said Jason Brvenik, the principal engineer in Cisco’s Security Business Group.
Many gamers will tell you that software based automated detection of cheat applications is worthless, as there are so many ways around that detection. But the truth is software based automated cheat detection plays the same role as antivirus software does these days, it provides baseline protection. It stops the 90% of cheaters who cheat because cheating is easy.
Antivirus won't stop a determined, skilled hacker. Automated software based cheat detection won't stop a determined, skill hacker either. But both will stop the casual attackers dead in their tracks, and allow those responsible for securing whatever environment is their domain to focus on the determined and skilled attackers, and on what can be done to offer protection from their attacks. It reduces the background noise and makes the truly destructive attackers easier to identify.