The need for email archiving
Without an effective system for archiving emails, organisations can find themselves unable to recover vital business records, leaving them open..
ZDNet UK / News and Analysis / Security / Security Management
Symantec labels anti-censorship software a Trojan
Topics
NEWS
Symantec's Norton AntiVirus product has blacklisted software that allows users in China to access government-blocked Web sites.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the firm has said that a program called Freegate, which allows users to access government blocked Web sites, should be considered a Trojan horse.
The result is that users of Symantec's antivirus product in China will be unable to download the Freegate program and use it to access banned sites. Freegate is explicitly designed to bypass controls and there is no suggestion that it contains any malicious or hidden functions normally necessary to qualify a program as a Trojan.
The move raises the question of whether antivirus technology should be used to support government censorship.
A spokeswoman from Symantec UK said that it would be "inappropriate" to comment on the matter.
There are more than 68 million Internet surfers in China. The Freegate program, which supposedly has 200,000 users, gives users access to the banned Web sites by regularly changing proxy server IP addresses.
Security is a growing issue for China's online population. According to research from Chinese Ministry of Public Security, 87.9 percent of computers in the country were infected with a virus this year. The report said that the worst viruses were the Sasser and Netsky worms.
The government surveyed more than 7,000 departments and 8,400 users.
Related stories
Post your comment
In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in
Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below
By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ
ZDNet UK Live
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell: Find the answers in the Community FAQ free shipping wholesale product... http://bit.ly/bcjQtY
4 minutes ago on Twitter by nikeshoes998
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell: Find the answers in the Community FAQ free shipping wholesale product... http://bit.ly/9GWZRh
4 minutes ago on Twitter by mensapparel2010
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell: Find the answers in the Community FAQ free shipping wholesale product... http://bit.ly/bPLHL8
4 minutes ago on Twitter by womensapparel20
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell: Find the answers in the Community FAQ free shipping wholesale product... http://bit.ly/bVw3F2
4 minutes ago on Twitter by lisabarnes001
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell: Find the answers in the Community FAQ free shipping wholesale product... http://bit.ly/cDUyaj
49 minutes ago on Twitter by KC616 free shipping wholesale products: Read more »h handbags,NIKE shoes, jewelry, watches, and jacket and so on. We gua... http://bit.ly/cWcW1e
49 minutes ago on Twitter by KC616
Cyberwar defence plan is essential, says former CIA head: Michael Hayden, former head of the CIA and the National ... http://bit.ly/beLpKQ
1 hour ago on Twitter by SpyScroll
SAP leads businesses into augmented reality http://bit.ly/9eMWYp | #Droid #Android
1 hour ago on Twitter by Droid_News
free shipping wholesale products: We mainly supply top mirror quality brand name products, such as wholesale handb... http://bit.ly/cWcW1e
2 hours ago on Twitter by wholesalegurru
Cyberwar defence plan is essential, says former CIA head: Michael Hayden, former head of the CIA and the N... http://bit.ly/9sn6ax #pdln4nx
2 hours ago on Twitter by CNSInstructor
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell http://bit.ly/9KVeqD
2 hours ago on Twitter by AllAboutFashion
SAP leads businesses into augmented reality http://bit.ly/9eMWYp | #Droid #Android
2 hours ago on Twitter by Droid_Phone TalkTalk to sell mobile services via Vodafone deal http://bit.ly/bLVfxI | #Droid #Android
2 hours ago on Twitter by Droid_Phone Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell: Find the answers in the Community FAQ free shipping wholesale product... http://bit.ly/cDUyaj
2 hours ago on Twitter by wholesalegurru free shipping wholesale products: Read more »h handbags,NIKE shoes, jewelry, watches, and jacket and so on. We gua... http://bit.ly/cWcW1e
2 hours ago on Twitter by wholesalegurru
DoJ joins whistleblower in Oracle fraud suit http://bit.ly/bMT3SJ
2 hours ago on Twitter by felixsprisci
Update: free shipping wholesale products - ZDNet UK (... http://www.actahandbags.com/trends/free-shipping-wholesale-products-zdnet-uk-blog/
2 hours ago on Twitter by actatrudy free shipping wholesale products: Read more »h handbags,NIKE shoes, jewelry, watches, and jacket and so on. We gua... http://bit.ly/bRvFgG
2 hours ago on Twitter by lisabarnes001 free shipping wholesale products: Read more »h handbags,NIKE shoes, jewelry, watches, and jacket and so on. We gua... http://bit.ly/9CXYG9
2 hours ago on Twitter by mensapparel2010Latest in Security Management
Featured white papers
Dell Data Storage Summary
This study was conducted in the United States amoung IT decision makers with involvement in data centre purchases at companies..
Datasheet: Infrastructure as a Service
'Infrastructure as a Service' gives enterprises the flexibility to subscribe to the compute power and storage they require today with 'pay..
Talkback
It's just wrong that Symantec are being used as a tool by the Chinese government. They should keep to their job and track down the real viruses. My question is are anti-virus companies so deserate to find new trojans that they label innocent programs?
This requires more than just condemnation in words. Symantec products should be boycotted by everyone who cares about free speech and the individual's right to know and ask questions. Business will always kowtow for profit. Business built the gas chambers. That is business ethics, and it must be condemned. Send e-mail to Symantec and tell it so.