Intel buys stake in Czech AV company

Intel Capital, the investment arm of the chipmaker, has bought a $16 million stake in the Czech anti-virus security company Grisoft, PCPro reports.

The cash-boost will allow Grisoft to sell its products to a wider international market with the company claiming to already have about 25 million computers running its software around the world.

Grisoft markets security packages for both Windows and Linux, mostly aimed at small businesses and home users.

Through the agreement, Intel Capital will help Grisoft reach new customers and optimise its security software.

Symantec has posted a patch for the vulnerability in its enterprise anti-virus software, reports Information Week.

The flaw could allow an attacker or unauthorised user to view server usernames and passwords in clear text, posted to a log file generated by Antivirus 9, as it connects to and downloads from Symantec`s Live Update system.

Any user, whether local or remote, who had access to the network could view the log file and obtain access to the Live Update server.

The vulnerability does not affect home and small business users, however; typically, those users connect to Symantec`s own Live Update servers for new anti-virus signatures.

McAfee is preparing carrier-grade security products that they claim service providers can use to offer users an Internet connection that is free of security threats, reports ZDNet.

"Clean pipes" is the strategy under which McAfee is developing the products, said Vatsal Sonecha, VP of market development and strategic alliances at McAfee.

One of the products, a carrier-grade server device to offer these services, is due out in the first half of 2006, he said.