Anti-virus software is very expensive. a good version can set you back a lot. A couple of years ago I heard that they actually manufactured viruses so that they would keep in buisness. As time goes on I'm finding it more and more realistic that it could happen. What do you think?

It is very possible, probable even.

Kinda like the drug companies sitting on cures cause there is more money in treatment than there is in curing.

I would think that getting around an anti-virus program is pretty hard, yet they want people to believe that some 13 year old living in a shack, in some Indonesian fishing village, is responsible for some of the most complex viruses, worms, and trojans?

I'm normally not one to believe in conspiracy theories because 99.9% of the time they are more fiction than fact.

However, I think there is a strong possibility here.
The anti-virus companies are the only ones who have anything to gain from viruses.

I think you are right on the ball Walken its the perfect scam you know get someone to put a virus that only your software can stop and your rolling in dosh "WALKEN I HAVE A CUNNING PLAN "...............

Nice idea but I'm afraid not. IT Security is part of my job, Anti-virus companies do not manufacture viruses (virii? i can never remember).

Some do, however like any other business, hype up the threat of viruses to get more sales, but there are so many independant security professionals out there if a Anti-virus company tried to make their own viruses they would be found out VERY quickly

"HELL'S BELLS THEIR GOES MY CUNNING PLAN "

PurpleStuart

You are right, but I do hear rumours that some companies method of fighting viruses and hacking is to create them and prevent them before anybody else creates it. I took a virus and hacking class (but I dropped out) any way the professor said something about how the programmers in order to prevent viruses and hacks they also need to know how viruses and hacks are made and used, and if the find an exploit they usually update before they are used.

However as all companies are profit first so Walken you may be on to something.

Well it's not like they'd tell you they were.

Surely not every Air Force pilot know about top secret aircraft.

I say it is highly likely. For one something I have noticed, could be a coinsedense, but everytime my subscription is about to expire I get a virus that can only be removed if I download their expensive fixes and always trying to get me to buy their other software as well. Like Spyware, which i have along with 3 differernt Virus Scans. Kinda strange that the ones that need renewing are always the ones that find the worms, the others never detect them when they are up to date.

SP - very true, to effectively fight against crackers (to use the correct term) and virus authors you have to know their methods. This is why you have security sites like Infosyssec. I have have friends who do exciting stuff like Pen Testing (like in the film 'Sneakers') who use Hacking techniques to test companies networks for weaknesses.
A lot of vulnerabilities in different software and applications are discovered by 'White Hat' Hackers who report their findings to the companies involved so they can patch them, before someone puts them to malicious use. As well as this there have been several cases where exploits have been made public by their discoverers because the software company involved hasn't acted quick enough or are ignoring the exploit.

However the security community is such that anyone trying to profit from creating viruses and then selling the cure would be found out very quickly. Indeed as all companies are there for profit and, in the security industry, the good name of a company is especially important - who would buy security applications from someone you didn't trust? Their business would drop off over night - all their competitors would make sure of this to gain market share.

LR - unfortunatly not a correct analogy - a better one would be 'not all aerospace engineers would know...'
Well of course not, but believe me, i do have a reasonable insight into this industry and i can tell you now that sort of thing isn't going on - there are far too many virus writers out there without Anti-virus companies joining in! I'll go and check and give you some figures - back in a moment

Darksideofme

Erm why don't you use free Anti-virus software? AVG is one of the best and it is free to use and update. get it here

By the way ALL anti-virus software needs renewing when new virus signetures come out.

This also adds another arguement against - there is a lot of free anti-virus software out there for home users. There would be no profit in anti-virus companies making their own virus to be released into the wild.

Andy R - Actually there is a lot to be gained by virus writers. Firstly kudos - being the best at what you do, also to gain access to computers worldwide to get credit card details or to use them as 'Zombies' in DDos attacks. There has at least been one which was specficaly made so the author can use an infected user's webcam to spy on them!

A recent development has been virus writers teaming up with spammers with viruses that either harvest email addresses from a infected computer or to use the infected PC to route Spam emails through, so it is harder to find where the source of them is.

this time last year we were in a virus writers war - the writers of Netsky vs the writers of Bagle - The Netsky virus was specifically written to de-infect machines infected with the Bagle virus and to upload the patch which stops bagle from infecting that pc again!

One virus (i think it was Nimda or SoBig, but i have to check to be sure) was actually a CV! It was a cry to software companies saying "look this is what i can do, employ me!"

Thanx but everytime I download that one, something conflits with my drive.
I had to restore my whole system 3 times. As for another free one go to www.free-av.com Kinda like Avg but I perfer it more.
I update at least once a day. But some how... mostly Norton lets stuff slip in. AV is good. I got it about 3 weeks ago. So far it's a go.

I don't believe that Norton or others are cooking viruses but I can tell you that they have become so expensive a new program every two years is a heavy expense. I just installed a complete program by F-Secure that includes pop up blokers, spyware, antivirus, spam killer. Three discs cost forty dollars at office depot. My business PC has Norton AV only for $70.00 and they denied my rebate. So take a look at F-Secure, works well and automatically updates each time you go online.

LR - since the begining of the year, 191 viruses have been discovered and 708 software vulnerabilities. Sources: Sophos and Secunia

I would have to agree with those who doubt that antivirus companies manufacture virii. In order for there to be even a chance, there would have to be an industry-wide conspiracy. The risk of being busted and the ramifications for any antivirus company, with so many freelance security folks out there, would be enormous and devastating.

Maybe they do so few seperate companys, but very much under the same controll.