If you trust signature downloads, how do you know the product isn't transferring something else? I don't see how this is any different, unless you can block uploads while still keeping downloads.
i voted no. although i am pretty glad to be using Hitman Pro and VirusTotal. the cloud is just another tool.
Re: Do you think "Cloud" is neccesary for security aspect? There's a big difference between a server and a site getting hacked. That said, I agree to some extent that having your security touching the internet can add more vulnerabilities.
I think it all boils down to targets, the security scene in general, and trust. 1. You are less of a target, in the grand scheme of things, than a security company, a cloud provider and any other big corporation. Therefore you benefit from a security standpoint, to watch over your own data. 2. Hackers both from your normal criminal side and, increasingly, from the foreign government side, are attacking corporations on a daily basis, and the attacks are getting more thorough and focused. This puts the "cloud" at a severe disadvantage, and, of course, you. 3. By using the cloud, you are putting trust in another company, a company whose physical security and security policies you can't see nor access. You're trusting another company to not have weak passwords, to not leave un-patched systems in place, to not abuse your data, and so on. I think it has been shown rather well in the last year or so that that is quite an amount of trust to give.
I hear a lot of "Oh, users don't have to worry nearly as much because corporations are getting hit the most." I don't think that's true necessarily. It's much easier/cheaper to attack users whether the payment is greater on either side or not. Most malware I've seen has been kinda... universal. Anyone could get it, work computers or internet computers. I mean, botnets don't care if it's your work computer or home computer. Almost any malware we run into is either "universal" or targetted more to home users if anything.
I would wholehearted disagree that users are in "less danger". I'm simply saying the attackers are quite different that go after major corporations. Home users wouldn't stand a chance in hell against that kind of focused attack. You have to understand there are several camps of hackers, which I'm very much sure you know. The ones attacking users only care about making quick cash before they inevitably get found. The ones attacking corporations, these people have deeper goals. They might use some of the same weapons, but the tactics are different. Instead of a tank coming at you, it's a Blitzkrieg. They don't "spray and pray" like the attacks on users do.
Okay Yeah, all of us are in constant danger. It's just that the way things are right now and have been for a while, the argument against cloud computing/storage is getting stronger and stronger.
There are definitely arguments to be had. I prefer local storage for some things and cloud storage for others.
For storage of personal files like unimportant pictures, videos, even non-mission critical documents, I don't see a lot of harm yet. For anything seriously important to your personal life or business, I wouldn't touch cloud storage with a 10 foot pole. That's just my personal view, and I realize there are some benefits I would be giving up. But the risks are just too great right now, and I don't see them getting any lesser.
There's always the option to encrypt yourself before uploading to a server. I don't know why anyone would store serious info online. But this really mirrors the whole privacy thing as well. I would post "Oh man, just aced my final" on Facebook (if I were into that, which I'm not lol) but I wouldn't post "omg here's my SS just went to the bank and deposited my huge paycheck!" and yet people think you either don't have a facebook or you hvave a facebook and post EVERYTHING. Segregation is key. Some things go to the cloud for ease of use and some things stay on my computer, encrypted, for security.
Assuming you mean cloud security software: Do I think think it boosts security? No Do I think it's necessary for protection? No Does it provide an important step towards reducing the resource usage of security software? Yes, this is the biggest plus (and only plus in my opinion).
The three largest benefits of a cloud-based AV are: 1) Lower resources, you offload to the cloud 2) Cloud based heuristics can use huge servers to compute results, kinda ties into 1 3) Signatures that are stored on the cloud can be updated immediately and therefor local signature updates aren't nearly as important.
Possibly necessary coz it was just another form of "improvement" for enhancing security for the system as discovered by experts, researchers and online community. It makes more faster exchanged of info taken from the "cyberspace" or what they term cloud.
