cmcdonal@wsmr-emh03.army.mil (Chris McDonald ASQNC-TWS-R-SO) (05/22/91)
[Ed. The following is the first part of Chris McDonald's product
review of Flu_Shot+. The complete text to this review, along with the
rest of Chris's (and Rob Slade's) reviews, is available for anonymous
FTP on cert.sei.cmu.edu (IP # 128.237.253.5) in the
pub/virus-l/docs/reviews directory.]
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PT-27
May 1991
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1. Product Description: Flu_Shot+ is a shareware program to assist a user in
detecting "suspicious" activity which may be indicative of a malicious program.
2. Product Acquisition: Flu_Shot+ is available from Software Concepts Design,
594 Third Avenue, New York City, NY 10016. The cost for version 1.81 is $15.00
plus $4.00 handling charges. Site licenses are available. The program is
available on the Internet to include the host simtel20 in the path: pd1:
<msdos.trojan-pro>fsp_181.zip. The author of the program is Ross Greenberg,
who is also associated with the commercial program Virex-PC (see PT-23, Revised
May 1991).
3. Product Tester: Chris Mc Donald, Computer Systems Analyst, Information
Systems Command, White Sands Missile Range, NM 88002-5506, DSN: 258-4176, DDN:
cmcdonal@wsmr-emh03.army.mil or cmcdonald@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil.
4. Product Test:
a. I acquired version 1.5 in January 1989 from the simtel20 repository.
Then the registration fee was $10.00 plus $4.00 handling. I registered my
copy at that time and have continued to download revisions to the program
through version 1.81 to look for any significant changes. At version 1.7 Mr.
Greenberg indicated that future upgrades to Flu_Shot+ might end because he had
entered into an agreement with a commercial firm to market the program's
protection features with additional viral scanning and disinfection
capabilities. The commercial firm is now Microcom Software Division which
markets Virex-PC. While Mr. Greenberg actually sold Microcom Flu_Shot++, not
Flu_Shot+, I was somewhat surprised when version 1.81 reached the repository in
December 1990. This version came bundled with a demonstration copy of the
viral scanning capability of Virex-PC. Subsequent electronic communications
with Mr. Greenberg suggest that Microcom may view continued releases of
Flu_Shot+ as a commonsense marketing strategy to migrate users to their
commercial product.
...c-rossgr@uunet.uu.net (05/23/91)
>From: Chris McDonald ASQNC-TWS-R-SO <cmcdonal@wsmr-emh03.army.mil> >. The commercial firm is now Microcom Software Division which >markets Virex-PC. While Mr. Greenberg actually sold Microcom Flu_Shot++, not >Flu_Shot+, I was somewhat surprised when version 1.81 reached the repository i n >December 1990. This version came bundled with a demonstration copy of the >viral scanning capability of Virex-PC. Subsequent electronic communications >with Mr. Greenberg suggest that Microcom may view continued releases of >Flu_Shot+ as a commonsense marketing strategy to migrate users to their >commercial product. Yeah, FLU_SHOT++ got renamed to Virex-PC. I happen to *still* like the name of FLU_SHOT++ more, but offer me enough money and... <grin> Chances are good that future releases of FLU_SHOT+ (You're falling behind, Chris: Version 1.82 is out the door) will *not* include the bundle of the VIRX scanner. Bundling them together meaks it difficult to release one without the other and can create some auditing nightmares. Additionally, looking at people downloading from my BBS, everybody seems to download both the FLU_SHOT+ archive (which contains VIRX) *and* VIRX. By unbundling, the download time will be lessened (important on pay services) and the ability to update each independently of the other is enhanced. Microcom's permission to allow me to continue to enhance and release FLU_SHOT+ is a credit to their marketplace acumen, I think. Ross