Webroot Acquires Prevx

[Mongol]

Originally Posted by cavehomme

I hope that you are right, but in my experience once the bean counters start to stick their fingers in and requesting greater "synergies" (in beancounter language that is cuts) from this deal, then it may be the end for Prevx.

Then again it "may" not. I have had my share of experiences such as BOClean and Ewido both of which went bye-bye. The difference this time from what I have seen is that Webroot is actively helping promote Prevx 3 in stores as a stand alone.

[Page42]

Originally Posted by Mongol

Then again it "may" not. I have had my share of experiences such as BOClean and Ewido both of which went bye-bye. The difference this time from what I have seen is that Webroot is actively helping promote Prevx 3 in stores as a stand alone.

Very good point, Mongol.

[Pleonasm]

Originally Posted by Mongol

The difference this time from what I have seen is that Webroot is actively helping promote Prevx 3 in stores as a stand alone.

However, given Webroot’s stated intent to “integrate” Prevx, the standalone status of Prevx may only be temporary.

[cavehomme]

What may possibly save Prevx from being "borged" is that it is already a paid product for its real-time protection, unlike for example Threatfire which is free and hence no incentive, no revenues, to protect it as a standalone product. So if the revenues on prevx are already decent then impacting upon that would be suicidal. Hope I am right.

[pegr]

Originally Posted by cavehomme

What may possibly save Prevx from being "borged" is that it is already a paid product for its real-time protection, unlike for example Threatfire which is free and hence no incentive, no revenues, to protect it as a standalone product. So if the revenues on prevx are already decent then impacting upon that would be suicidal. Hope I am right.

I think you are right, which is why we will see Prevx 4.0 which is already at an advanced stage of development. Also, Webroot do have a history of releasing their products for sale on an individual basis, and not just the all encompassing suite.

Whether we will ever see a successor to Prevx 4.0 as a standalone product or whether, over time, Prevx technology will simply be incorporated into Webroot's other product lines remains to be seen though.

[cavehomme]

Originally Posted by pegr

I think you are right, which is why we will see Prevx 4.0 which is already at an advanced stage of development...

I just read a PC Mag interview from last May when they interview their new CTO from McAfee (not a good sign! ) and the CEO Morris. Quote "Morris is also keen to show off the back-end technology, once it's live". Well I hope they don't because the article suggests that they have something unique and their pride should not get the better of themselves, we don't want the malware writers to have ANY new clues.

[shadek]

To all those who bad-mouth Webroot and it being extremely resource heavy; the Sophos engine Webroot uses just missed the first spot by one (1) point in the latest performance test on AV-Comparatives. The very same engine provides excellent protection as well.

[cavehomme]

Originally Posted by shadek

To all those who bad-mouth Webroot and it being extremely resource heavy; the Sophos engine Webroot uses just missed the first spot by one (1) point in the latest performance test on AV-Comparatives. The very same engine provides excellent protection as well.

Interesting, but I don't use Webroot / Sophos. I personally notice AV slowness as an issue when browsing (not apparently shown in this test?), and launching applications (Sophos gets 10 points rather than the faster 15).

For the past few weeks I have been using COmodo firewall without AV but D+ HIPS enabled, and with Prevx in realtime, no other AV. Very light on resources overall.

[WilliamMary]

I don't use Webroot either because Av-comparatives test is a little bit overestimating result. why doesn't this test include boot performance test anyway ? Boot performane is really bad for Webroot and I have noticed many other side effect about this strange engine..
PC Magaine ? give me a break. how many malious sample does they use for this test ? nobody know and no description about this. I cannot believe it, and why does they protect commercial keylogger ? LOL..

[shadek]

Originally Posted by WilliamMary

I don't use Webroot either because Av-comparatives test is a little bit overestimating result. why doesn't this test include boot performance test anyway ? Boot performane is really bad for Webroot and I have noticed many other side effect about this strange engine..
PC Magaine ? give me a break. how many malious sample does they use for this test ? nobody know and no description about this. I cannot believe it, and why does they protect commercial keylogger ? LOL..

Boot time doesn't matter as I usually hit the power button once per day and during bootup get something to drink. Load times of applications and the lightness when doing actions in those applications is what matters most. My point is; Webroot isn't as heavy as most people claim. They use a great engine with top-tier detection and the latest test from AV-C clearly states they're top notch in performance as well. All in all, I think Webroot with Prevx has great potential!

[jimwillsher]

I boot once per month (MS Patch Tuesday) so I completely agree. Realtime performance is more important to me.


Jim

[cavehomme]

Originally Posted by jimwillsher

I boot once per month (MS Patch Tuesday) so I completely agree. Realtime performance is more important to me.


Jim

I can only dream of such infrequent boots. There is no way my Win 7 installation on a laptop which goes on standby, hibernate, ethernet then wifi then ethernet again can go more than a few days. Indeed I found XP SP3 more stable. Off-topic I know, but you raise a sore point!

[trjam]

Originally Posted by Mongol

Then again it "may" not. I have had my share of experiences such as BOClean and Ewido both of which went bye-bye. The difference this time from what I have seen is that Webroot is actively helping promote Prevx 3 in stores as a stand alone.

The difference is about profits. Prevx makes money. So why would you take a money maker just to rewrap it and make it dosappear and only hope it makes your new products money makers. I really think Webroot intends to market Prevx, "name may change" as a stand alone. It just doesnt make economical sense othewise.

[Pleonasm]

Originally Posted by trjam

The difference is about profits. Prevx makes money. So why would you take a money maker just to rewrap it and make it disappear and only hope it makes your new products money makers.

The difference is about costs and cannibalization. Prevx costs money to market, to maintain, and to service as a separate brand, expenses which would be marginalized if it were integrated into Webroot Internet Security. And, if the incorporation of Prevx technology into Webroot Internet Security increases the sales of that product, then the business case becomes even stronger for absorption.

[Tarnak]

Originally Posted by Pleonasm

The difference is about costs and cannibalization.
....that product, then the business case becomes even stronger for absorption.

...by way of the bean counters. ...or The Borg.

[Mongol]

Originally Posted by trjam

The difference is about profits. Prevx makes money. So why would you take a money maker just to rewrap it and make it dosappear and only hope it makes your new products money makers. I really think Webroot intends to market Prevx, "name may change" as a stand alone. It just doesnt make economical sense othewise.

The name Prevx is so widely recognized and rather unique I doubt even that will change.

[Triple Helix]

Originally Posted by Mongol

The name Prevx is so widely recognized and rather unique I doubt even that will change.

It might have something like this:

Webroot - Prevx 4.0

TH

[Pleonasm]

Originally Posted by Mongol

The name Prevx is so widely recognized...

Within the small security intelligentsia community, yes: Prevx appears to be a well-known brand. However, among the large general user population, I am dubious that the recognition of the brand is high. For example, by using Google Trends, you can explore how infrequently “Prevx” appears relative to the name of the brands of other major anti-malware products.

[Mongol]

Originally Posted by Triple Helix

It might have something like this:

Webroot - Prevx 4.0

TH

OH-NO not that! I can see another 10 to 15 page thread coming

[Bambo]

How do you know Prevx make money? That is just about all that matters so would be nice if someone has insight and like to throw out numbers in public. If they make tons of money then may be Webroot will consider keeping their new little gold mine untainted. If so so/meh/could be better/oh no, we need to work for this good bye to Prevx box

[Triple Helix]

The Big Picture for 2011 Security Trends

As 2010 winds down, I wanted to pull out the crystal ball and talk for a moment about where the security industry seems to be heading in the coming year, and where we anticipate threats and targets. Mobile platforms: If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you have either an iPhone, an Android phone, or a Blackberry in your pocket, case, or on your desk right now. If that’s true, then the data on that device is the next big target for criminals, and the newest front in the war on cybercrime. Users have embraced the advantages of mobile platforms, and even though IT admins may officially consider some or all of them “unsupported” in some organizations, you can’t abandon users who will choose convenience over strict IT policy. I predict that mobile platforms will continue to grow at a rapid pace, and we’ll soon reach the threshold level where malware creators start to take notice in significant numbers. IT admins should embrace these new platforms, and take steps to protect users who insist upon having them, even though doing so may make their work harder.
Social engineering: Whether you use a single PC at home, or manage a network of 25,000 laptops and desktops at work, social engineering scams have become so convincing that it’s a wonder IT admins ever get a good night’s rest.
It doesn’t matter how comprehensive your patch and update schedule is — when a sufficiently convincing spam email reaches a gullible employee, all bets are off. With targeted attacks becoming more common, the best defense against this threat continues to be education. Every user, from the newest administrative assistant to the C-level executives, needs training in identifying and avoiding fraudulent email and other messages, harmful file attachments, and Internet behavior that can lead to trouble.
Cloud vs. Desktop: We’ve seen demand for cloud-based services increasing across all segments of the business. In small and medium-sized businesses, we’re continuing to see strong demand for cloud-based solutions, and we expect that to continue next year. Overworked admins like the ease of administration and the performance benefits of cloud security services. And for the first time, we’re seeing consumers getting interested in the advantages the cloud brings to PC protection, including the speed that updates make it to the user of an infected computer.
At the larger end of the enterprise business segment, IT administrators must juggle the requirements of government regulations with the performance advantages that cloud services have to offer. In those cases where security regulations may not permit some kinds of data to move out into the wider Internet, we’ve seen a demand for what we call private cloud architecture — something that offers the performance benefits and features of a cloud solution, within an organization, while, at the same time, satisfying regulatory constraints on how companies move or store data.
We also can see how criminals have developed a taste for the vast volumes of sensitive data stored in the cloud, and anticipate that malware creators and other attackers will try to steal data stored in the cloud with increasing frequency.
Security Updates: More than 60 percent of malware attacks come from known vulnerabilities, so no matter whether you’re a one-person shop, or manage many thousands of desktops, maintaining not only the operating system but also the third party applications on which you (and your organization) depend should be a top priority. Besides office applications, attacks in the past year have focused on programs like Adobe Reader, Java, Flash, AutoCAD, media players, graphic design tools, and various browsers and browser plug-ins. IT departments should never let a new computer get to an employee that has anything older than the very latest build of these critical applications.
Consolidation: While not expressly a security trend, larger companies — some in the security space, and some that have not previously played there — have been augmenting their offerings. Intel’s purchase of McAfee, for example, appears to extend their platform beyond mere chipmaking. Other acquisitions, such as Webroot’s purchase of Brightcloud and Prevx, help companies acquire capabilities that can defend against, or remediate, a specific kind of threat. HP, IBM, and Symantec have done similar things, and with each acquisition, the companies gain another part of a toolkit they can use to respond to emerging threats. We expect to see more companies in this space merge and transform themselves over the next year.

http://blog.webroot.com/2010/12/13/t...curity-trends/

TH

[TonyW]

Originally Posted by Pleonasm

Within the small security intelligentsia community, yes: Prevx appears to be a well-known brand. However, among the large general user population, I am dubious that the recognition of the brand is high.

I guess this is something Webroot hope to rectify seeing they have acquired the brand. I was quite surprised to see a boxed Webroot product in a UK electrical store recently so who knows.