Let’s just clear this up right now: Anti-virus software can be useful, but it’s in a constant battle with hackers, constantly playing catch-up with new viruses, and security researchers pretty consistently find ways to get around these programs. Nor do you really need them if you apply some basic common sense. So realistically speaking, if you’re paying for anti-virus, it’s just buying a false sense of reassurance.
That doesn’t mean, however, that having their source code released wouldn’t embarrass huge anti-virus companies like Symantec. So guess what Anonymous is up to!
They apparently got the source code for Norton from the Indian military, who left it on their servers after checking it to make sure it was secure, and also because they enjoy irony, apparently. Or maybe they wanted to demonstrate that their intelligence apparatus was no match for a bunch of bored teenagers.
Anyway, they have the source code, and are going to release it. Symantec insists that it’s from 2006 and that it’s not dangerous at all, which sounds about right for code bought by a military organization that got clowned by 4Chan. Either way, it promises to be enormously entertaining when the code is released.
(Image via AVG on Flickr)