James D. Stallardblog

...to recommending that we overwrite our hard drives with...a hammer.

And yet they completely fail to note the therapeutic aspects of beating the crap out of an old hard disk with a lump hammer. I did 2 myself recently and I recommend it to everyone!

Today I received an email from a buddy of mine, who unwisely uses the AVG (www.avg.com) antivirus software. On the bottom of his email was attached this signature:

Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.17/1847 - Release Date: 13/12/2008 16:56

So, all anyone has to do is work out which bits of malware are not covered by this version of the database and send it to him to virtually guarantee infection.

Clearly AVG are doing this to shame him into updating his AV; or in his case, purchasing a subscription to take him beyond the free trail received when he bought his new laptop.

Whatever the reason it is not a good idea to be publicising to the world that your AV is out of date and the version in use.