Where is Your Antivirus Made? - Comments Page 3

Sorry, missed ESET.

I've wondered for 20 years if anti-virus products were made by the same people who produce viruses. In addition, they are so resourceful and knowledgeable that a backdoor would be hard to detect. Those who access the internet with their unsecured phones should really be scared of an internet Armageddon.

I use Kingsoft antivirus on 2 of my computers. While I have not detected any virus's since using it, I'm worried about all the Chinese attacks. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this product. I also use Windows defender on my third computer and I've noticed that it is the only one that I have received the Windows 10 update reservation on. Wondering if this is coincindence or what. All 3 are Windows 10 compatible. I would appreciate any thoughts or information.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't think the choice of anti-virus has anything to do with it. Try going to Windows Update and loading KB3035583.

Eugene Kaspersky's comments on transparency while valid don't really alleviate my overarching concerns.
While I am not a card carrying member of the tinfoil hat brigade, I do still think they have some points.
Here is my thought on foreign AV vendors. I think that they have every intention of being 100% above board, and I am sure they are today.
But... lets assume the USA gets into a more serious militaryish action with someone, lets say that it degenerates to full blown war, It would be fairly trivial for said foreign government to get into one of these legitimate firms within its borders and push some nasty code via updates and have that code go out instantly to target customers, either a whole country, or a specific group. Possibly even without the legit company knowing its occurring.

While this sounds far fetched, its not impossible. And while full blown war is fairly unlikely, the cyber skirmish between the USA and China may heatup in the next decade or so.

In my mind it only makes sense to be very aware of the country of origin for software. Especially non-security software, which doesn't get the same scrutiny.
I am not saying always avoid, but I am saying pay attention and judge your own level of risk you are willing to make.

Lots of what if's here, and having said that I run Kaspersky at home at My office, so I am not that worried. But it certainly bears some consideration.

hi, I would like to know if there is a us based antivirus company and it being free that has a tech support in the us also, I mean I want to talk to a American tech agent ?, I plan getting a paid version soon though ! a basic set it and forget it company also, thanks

Bought McAfee which is supposedly a US Company, but spent almost an hour on the phone to download the software (got Microsoft first, then had to be transferred to Apple, and they had to refund my money for the Microsoft version). All the phone calls and transfers took place in the Phillippines. I won't buy another product until the corporations start "manufacturing" their products in the US. I don't think these corporations should be able to sell in the US if they don't make the product in the US. Are there any anti-virus programs produced in the US with the help desk in the US?

I have tried a lot of different anti virus/firewalls and Microsoft security with Malware bytes paid version and a good browser like firefox is all you need as it does not bog down your
computer.
Now if you go to questionable web sites you always run a risk of intrusion no matter what security you use.

Follow up to my last note. There is a free online mcafee scan online to recheck your computer so you can make sure your free version has not missed anything. I do that recheck and I have not found anything. So even if Microsoft is not the best it works fine with malware bytes in protecting you.

Yes, indeed! The geographic origin of my av software is very important to me. I want to support a strong America as it used to be. Not "American" globalists who are really fascists, unwilling to stand up to an intrusive, swinelike BIG govt, not at all what our Founding Fathers and our Creator intended.

I'm looking for American companies or corporations, with USA based customer support. And i don't mean H1B visa foreign workers who are used to lower costs, but also lower American wages and have made it difficult for college graduates with computer related degrees to quickly find a job, if that's what they want. Do you know of any like that currently, Bob?

I have one rule and that is not to buy or subscribe to anything Made in China. Although there products are cheap it really does not matter to me. To defeat them the world needs to know that the reason why they are flexing their muscles now is because there are a lot that buys Made in China products. I wouldn't if i were you. Let's admit it. They are now a very rich nation and are a threat to us. Their aim is to muscle their way in.

No country in the world has any laws to protect the citizens of any other nation, but legal protections don't always help you. Companies like Symantec have admitted to working with the FBI to assure their products never catch the FBI's keyboard logger, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Lantern_(software) as violating our Forth Amendments rights has become sadly routine for America's laws (hello PATRIOT Act). Every copy of say Windows that leaves the US has been widely known to contain a backdoor to the NSA. It was due to this that the governments of at least Germany and China discussed banning Windows from their countries - only to decide their economy was already too dependent. But, the city of Munich, Germany migrated all of it's desktops, as did the German Foreign Office and others, to Unix. What used to be the #1 firewall in America, CheckPoint (banned from NSA networks), managed their leadership despite having a backdoor to the Israeli Mossad (due to coming from an Israeli company). CheckPoint is no longer a serious market leader. #1 today is an American company headquartered in Sunnyvale: Fortinet. It would be naive to believe the nation of origin of those companies didn't play a part in the reversal.

Just as it would be foolish for any American to use a non-American anti-virus, it would be equally foolish for anyone living outside of the United States to use one from an American company. The Sun Microsystems security software completely came from groups of old Russian hackers and yet there was never been any discussion concerning the real dangers as Sun was always a major contributor to security conferences and magazines. Such has been likewise allowed in every other industry - that leaders are routinely able to dominate the research and dictate trends. I live in Tucson, AZ. Tucson may be the top target of military attacks on this country from China. We are the country's top producers of meth and spice. It comes from Mexico where the chemicals are subsidized by China. Google it. You'll find such claims made in major US newspapers and TV shows. Of course, attacks are going to be done digitally as well. Russia has just been identified as taking the leadership role in digital attacks from Chine. You'll also find articles mention that an American asking for a business room in Europe (even before the Internet) will likely have their hotel room bugged. Similarly, the primary use of American spy networks in Europe seek technological rather than military secrets. It's why all of the spy laws created in the US over the past two decades have names like the ECONOMIC Espionage Act of 1996. Why would anyone take such risks with anti-virus software specifically meant to help you mitigate risk? It's silly.

UPDATE: Russia has just been identified as taking the leadership role in digital attacks (OVER China). For example, the U.S. Intelligence Community’s 2015 Worldwide Threat Assessment report claimed Russia and China are the "most sophisticated nation-state actors" in the new generation of cyber warfare and that Russian hackers have been identified as leading in terms of sophistication, programming power, and inventiveness.

Thanks for you comments, TucsonJim; however I'm not able to find where Fortinet is in the personal computer security industry. I'm looking for a decent security system. I currently have Advanced System Care and lately they are spamming me more than anyone else and their driver program keeps uninstalling my video drivers. I seriously need to replace this program (I think also known as IOBIT).

I'm willing to pay for a good program, I just don't want it to turn on me and become worse than the problems I'm trying to prevent.

Well it seems Kapersky is a tool from the FSB, isn't it?

So, after reading this article several times, while informative, I don't feel any closer to an answer for what AV software I can feel safe using than before I found this page. The only fact I've confirmed after reading this article and subsequent comments is that my concerns about whether or not there is any funny business going on from the AV companies is valid.

My Kaspersky is made in Russia, because I TRUST Kaspersky much, much more than any US software...US software have backdoors to NSA and American authorities !

While I understand the concern over internet security programs, I would also wonder about your internet provider which makes the connections for you on the internet.

So I've seen almost every one I've heard of on here except the one I use, Iobit Advanced System Care Ultimate. I can't find any information anywhere about whether this is an American company or not - unless it goes by another name. I've been using it for many years now and it works great. But I was just wondering.

I have to agree that it does matter where you AV software is made. As evidenced in the recent past interference from other countries like Russia, China, Ukraine, Iran, N Korea and others into our politics, businesses (IP Theft) and personal identity theft of millions that any software from these countries should be suspect. NO ONE should be blindly trusted, even with products made here in the U.S.. As there are too many ways to get into a network...not just through malware, spyware, trojans etc...on the front end, but by more nefarious ways means on the back end with the injection of roque USBs, and other manipulated devices through insider threats.

You have to be an idiot to install AV from China.