Antivirus Provider Webroot Destroys Systems With False Positives
The antivirus software provided by Webroot received a signature update that caused the program to misdiagnose and eliminate files vital to running Microsoft Windows systems, crashing an untold number of PCs worldwide. Social media has erupted in the wake of the resulting chaos, while the antivirus company scrambled to fix the malfunctioning program.
In an update provided by Ars Technica regarding the issue, Webroot officials have released a statement on the steps that the company is taking to address the problem on Tuesday, April 25. "On April 24, Webroot experienced a technical issue affecting some business and consumer customers. We are in the process of creating a fix, but in the meantime, small business customers can follow instructions posted in the Webroot Community to address the issue," the statement reads, providing a link to the Webroot Community page set up to address the false positive fiasco.
Frustrated users and system administrators took to social media as the glitched update hit Webroot installations worldwide on Monday, April 24. The signature update for the antivirus caused the software to quarantine or eliminate vital Microsoft Windows files identified as false positives. The result was chaos as untold number of PCs became inoperable.
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Colorado-based Webroot Inc. acknowledged the issue and said that the faulty updates were being rolled back, and that "Webroot users should leave the program on and connected to the internet to get the fix" according to Kristin Miller, a representative for Webroot, as quoted by NBC News.
Miller clarified that the glitch was not in any way part of an attack on Webroot users. "Webroot was not breached," she said. "Actual malicious files are being identified and blocked as normal," Miller stated.
Meanwhile, Webroot is facing problems on its own as the company is being swamped by customer complaints and restoration requests. The update was first noticed when the antivirus began to flag Facebook as a dangerous and identity-stealing site.
For now, Webroot users are being asked to go to the Webroot Community page to have their issues addressed.
