We don't want to go through the painful process of cleaning up the Internet. That didn't stop vendors from rushing to capitalize on the antihacker hysteria. Firms churned out press releases boasting that their products could have prevented the assaults. Several companies used the occasion to release free programs, teasers for souped-up packages. Then we see if we can interest them in our pro product.
Investors bid up security stocks with abandon.
Seattle-based WatchGuard Technologies shot up more than 60 percent the week of the attacks. But there are simply too many insecure machines to vet. Experienced hackers scoff at conventional security products, which are geared toward ensnaring the unskilled. Most security administrators, however, prefer the path of least resistance. We see ourselves as part of a balanced breakfast.