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Are Symantec Snooping?


Humpty

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Bit of a kefuffle going on ATM about whether a PIFTS.exe belonging to Symantec is snooping.

 

Symantec seems to be deleting any posts on their message board relating to such.

 

Or is it just a story created to stir up a hornets nest with nothing really in it?

 

Zone Alarm Discussion

 

WARNING - I googled PIFTS.exe with very first two links being hijackers for two rogue apps in Internet Antivirus Pro and the second being System Security.

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I don't know Humpty as I would never use ZoneAlarm nor Semantic anti virus products.

 

There is lots of interesting things that are coming up in Google:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...09204126AAGTEsK

http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/compute...-pifts-exe.html

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

IE7Pro user

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Very interesting story this.

 

As Humpty pointed out take care as to which links you click on if you google this.

I see Web of Trust (WoT) flags one and hpHosts file blocks experts-exchange.com

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

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Here's the SiteAdvisor details about that site:

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/experts-exchange.com

 

Strange that SiteAdvisor flags it as "green" with some of the stuff detected. :huh:

SiteAdvisor is just like other McAfee products that are as nimble as a garden snail and when they leave they deposit stuff that is a bit hard to remove.

 

Unfortunately I paid for SiteAdvisor PLUS a while back when SiteAdvisor was good just after they purchased it but like other companies that borge smaller ones that have a good product it falls into disarray after a while.

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

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Malware authors jump on the PIFTS.EXE bandwagon

It looks like the bad guys are proving that once again they aren't slow to leap on an opportunity.

 

With parts of the internet flustering over the Symantec / PIFTS.EXE debacle, hackers have set out to poison search engines in an attempt to cash in on unsuspecting computer users.

 

We're seeing evidence that websites containing malware are showing up in search engine results when people hunt for more information about PIFTS.

http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/2009/03/1...sexe-bandwagon/

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

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Pft. Pshaw.
What does that mean?

 

PFT (Pulmonary Function Test)

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

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"Pshaw" is an antiquated phrase for saying "oh comon' now" or "I don't believe it". Last time I read it in printed form it must've been in the 70s or 80s.

Pft is short for PIFT. :)

I'm still confused

 

PIFT 0.07 sec.

Acronym Definition

PIFT platelet immunofluorescence test

PIFT Protocol Interbank File Transfer

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/PIFT

 

Now if you said piffle that would make sense

pif?fle (pfl)

intr.v. pif?fled, pif?fling, pif?fles

To talk or act feebly or futilely.

n.

Foolish or futile talk or ideas; nonsense.

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

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I have always thought pft was the sort of sound you make before saying yeah...right, to express disbelief.

Must be an expression from over your side of the pond as I thought it was the sort of sound you make after a meal of Brown Beans on toast and a cup of coffee:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/579869

 

Brings to mind the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles:

:lol::lol:

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." - Albert Einstein

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I have always thought pft was the sort of sound you make before saying yeah...right, to express disbelief.

 

I understand it the same way hazel,

I've all ways seen it as the sound of disbelief.

fireryone

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Security firm Symantec has apologised after an unsigned security patch caused panic among Norton users.

 

The diagnostic patch PIFTS.exe was included in the latest update for Norton Internet Security with the purpose of anonymously collecting statistics on the computers using its products, according to Symantec.

 

Unfortunately, "human error" meant the file was unsigned causing firewalls to flag it when it attempted to dial home. Enterprising users discovered the file was attempting to dial out to Norton servers in Africa, and conspiracy theories quickly began to fill the vacuum of silence left by Symantec.

IT Pro Article

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