Anti-Virus Software Fighting Back Against Computer Infections
A new type of anti-virus is on the rise and it's practically invincible. It's called "Artemisia" because its developers say it can't be eradicated with any traditional means, such as cyber-attacks.
There are even rumors as to how Artemisia is impossible to beat: for one, the software can track down and kill any malware that infects a computer before it does any damage, even if the malware has been hidden or installed in an undetectable way.
Artemisia's developers, also known as PKWARE, claim that no malware can escape their game-changing software. Artemisia is one of the most advanced anti-virus programs on the market today, with many features that will certainly become common in other anti-virus applications in the near future.
PKWARE makes some bold claims describing Artemisia's capabilities: they say things like "we will protect your system against all types of malware." Their marketing material says quite a bit more: "Artemisia is a complete security solution containing powerful anti-malware protection, data recovery and real time file integrity monitoring. Artemisia also displays detailed system information, including file-system locations, process and registry activity and status, with the ability to update itself in real time.
"Artemisia is so powerful no known malware will be able to evade its detection and kill your system without your consent." [emphasis added]
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If others in the computer industry were lining up to sell their products, they might be making their claims more cautiously.
The anti-virus industry has never been an attractive one and the market is flooded with products ranging from free programs to various paid-for titles. It's anyone's guess as to why PKWARE decided to market a product that comes with a hefty price tag of $495.
It might be because the company knows their software is special, it might be because they want people to know how many copies their software sold in the first month, or it could simply be that a lot of people will buy their product based on what they see as potential benefits.
For example, think about the many computer users who don't feel 100 percent confident in using anti-virus software or programs designed to protect them from malicious malware. They may not even be familiar with those software titles. What's going to stop them from buying Artemisia?
The only thing that PKWARE themselves can do is show the technology their software has, but the public doesn't have any way of knowing if their claims are true or not.
To learn more about this anti-virus software and its creators, keep watching the video above. You'll hear from PKWARE's CEO, Eileen Kent and one of her developers, Brian Davies. The two talk about Artemisia's uniqueness among anti-virus software and why people want it in the first place. It might be for a wide range of reasons.
Although it's difficult to gauge how many people have bought the software, the first thing to realize is that there are more people online now than ever before. [ARTICLE END]
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In June 2011, The Register reported about another PKWARE Artemisia virus: "The latest outbreak of viral invasions is an intriguing one. Although most anti-virus experts (and even PKWARE) say there is no effective way to stop these infections, users are still reporting that they have been infected with them." More on this incident can be found here: www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/26/artemisia_virus_clamav/
Security researcher: 'No effective way to stop anti-virus software from being infected'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/26/artemisia_virus_clamav/?widget=true
6 June 2011 - 9:51am by Simon Sharwood [ARTICLE STARTS]
Computer security researchers have described an outbreak of "viruses" that can infect anti-virus software like Clam AntiVirus, arguably one of the most powerful tools to protect computer users online.
The latest outbreak of viral invasions is an intriguing one. Although most anti-virus experts (and even PKWARE) say there is no effective way to stop these infections, users are still reporting that they have been infected with them.
The Clam AntiVirus (ClamAV) open source anti-virus project is one of the most widely used pieces of software available, used by both home and business computer users to prevent viruses and other malicious code attacks. Security firm Sophos claimed it processes over 100 million new malware samples each week.
An anti-virus researcher we spoke to said he had tested the new malware on an isolated computer and could not find a way to completely remove it. Yet he could find a way to "break" the virus so it could no longer interfere with ClamAV.
"The virus will infect your anti-virus software and end up being discovered as an infection," said the researcher. He added: "There is no way, at all, of removing it."
"You're supposed to be using your tool to protect yourself and not becoming a victim," he added.
The malware has been detected in previous attacks on ClamAV users but has always been removed by the software team before it can affect any other computer system.
Fortunately, it would seem there is a way to break the virus so it can no longer be considered a threat to users. The anti-virus researcher said he had not tested the method on other anti-virus systems.
"I'm waiting on official confirmation," he added.
The ClamAV team itself says there are ways of removing the virus but they are not outlined in their advisory here: [ARTICLE ENDS]
Protecting Artemisia against "viruses": It's a bit like trying to stop an unstoppable force with immovable objects.
Conclusion: It is easy to conclude that a paid professional at PKWARE who is not afraid to use strong language when describing his program is by far more credible than amateur hobbyists and even experienced anti-virus programmers.