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StreamCast Networks is to bundle McAfee.com's SecurityCenter information service into the Morpheus Client providing users with a "powerful utility to view their security status and be alerted to major security risks," writes John Leyden.
Raising awareness about security issues among P2P users is no bad thing (after all, such systems are inherently insecure), but the real impact of the deal is to expand McAfee.com's sales channels and promote its security services to users.
McAfee.com makes this much clear when it says, "SecurityCenter has been the most successful customer acquisition program in the company's history."
Using the SecurityCenter information service, McAfee.com is going to be promoting its consumer ASP warnings, so expect to see an emphasis on how virus writers are increasingly using P2P network as a vector to spread their malware. At worst this has the potential to become FUD nagware.
In making it far easier to receive protection from viruses, the McAfee.com service has its advantages for users. But this is not a universal panacea against virus ills. Hotmail is protected by McAfee.com AV (anti-virus) services, yet certain strains of viruses still occasional manage to evade detection.
The level of protection provided to Hotmail users is far less than that provided to McAfee.com consumer ASP subscribers but it is important to note -- again and again -- that security goes beyond simply using an AV scanner.
The Register and its contents are copyright 2002 Situation Publishing. Reprinted with permission.
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