Learning to share

Although anti-virus vendors have not made it a priority to find ways to coexist on the desktop, they do share virus specimens in a timely way. This makes their products virtually identical in what they catch.

Such a sharing practice does not exist in the anti-spyware industry.

"With the spyware vendors, a lot of people are hoarding," says Joseph Telafici, director of operations at McAfee's Avert Labs research arm. "They jealously guard their samples."

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Although anti-virus vendors have not made it a priority to find ways to coexist on the desktop, they do share virus specimens in a timely way. This makes their products virtually identical in what they catch.

Such a sharing practice does not exist in the anti-spyware industry.

"With the spyware vendors, a lot of people are hoarding," says Joseph Telafici, director of operations at McAfee's Avert Labs research arm. "They jealously guard their samples."

The consequence, he says, is that anti-spyware products are vastly different. He believes that none of them catch more than 80% of potential spyware threats.

Some anti-spyware vendors defend this hoarding practice.

"If I have all the samples to share and you have nothing to trade, why should I open up on this?" says Mike Greene, director of product management at Webroot.

Back to main story: Anti-virus, anti-spyware on collision course?

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