{Corrections & clarifications: Igor Muttik’s column reappeared a few hours after this column went public. A McAfee representative responded to this column at our request. Please see the comments section below for details.}

Yesterday, McAfee expert Igor Muttik posted a column titled “Who digs the elephant trap?” on his firm’s “Avert Labs Blog.” Someone took it down a few hours later. I suspect it got yanked over this portion:

“We [at McAfee] would urge all developers who use software protection to think twice before doing so. There is an increasing risk that your legitimate files will be blocked by [McAfee's] AV software by mistake or that there will be an unpleasant slowdown [for your customers] due to long analysis… The point is that software protectors [particularly Armadillo and Themida] are just not a secure software technology any longer because they have been misused so much [by malware authors]. Do not use it if you can avoid it.”

Muttik makes some amazing claims here:

1. “Think twice” before you protect the software you develop;
2. McAfee may block your legit software “by mistake”;
3. McAfee may “slowdown” your customers’ computers; and
4. Armadillo & Themida “are just not a secure software technology any longer.”

No wonder McAfee yanked Muttik’s blog entry! And yet someone at the firm decided to keep Francois Paget’s “I’m a dufus” column online. Go figure.

“Rob, didn’t you recently point out McAfee’s vetting problem?” I did indeed — but I don’t think this one qualifies. I feel McAfee correctly implemented their employee blog, and I surmise Muttik followed protocol when he posted his column. I’ll bet a soda he simply screwed up.

“Then why did you write this column, Rob?” Ah, good! You’re thinking. Muttik reveals a dangerous thought process here. He naïvely thinks antivirus software should trump other types of security software. He then offers a non sequitur to stop using Armadillo & Themida: “[it's] just not a secure software technology any longer because they have been misused so much [by malware authors].”

Muttik needs to realizeremember two important facts. First, “users don’t buy a PC to run antivirus software.” They buy a PC to surf the Internet, do word processing, read email, blah blah blah. Second, “there’s more to computer security than just antivirus software.” Muttik’s team doesn’t stop reverse engineering, piracy, code breaking, blah blah blah.

We, too, need to remember these two important facts. The rest of us can learn a lesson the easy way by watching Muttik learn it the hard way…

On a sidenote: About.com antivirus expert Mary Landesman mentioned Muttik’s column only in passing. It’s unlike her to miss something this blatant.

“What up, girl?” Did you post it in a rush before your second cup of coffee?