Virus Removal Without Breaking EULA

[tekcap]

Hello,

https://www.technibble.com/be-a-professional-not-a-pirate-read-the-eula/

That article got me thinking about the business I plan on opening in the future. I want to do everything legit and I'm concerned about virus removal. From what I've gathered most people break the law and use Malwarebytes, etc to remove infections on customers' computers. The only legit way of doing this is either selling each customer a copy of the software, or manually removing any malware/viruses. There doesn't seem to be any free software for commercial use, except for Comodo, which I have a bad feeling about. The alternative is the Sysinternals tools designed by Mark Russinovich and possibly some other tools that I don't know about yet.

Anyone care to chime in and share there experience?

By the way, are there any documented cases of small businesses being taken to court over breaking anti virus EULA?

 

[TurricanII]

If you waste time trying to unpick infections with sysinternals then you will either be charging the client more than the cost of a new machine/reinstall or you will be working for free.

Find a product that you can use within eula and stick with it, or quote AV with each removal.

 

[Porthos]

As a reseller of Malwarebytes I include the cost with my malware removals.

Get in touch to become a reseller.

Xcel Source Corp

1-877-612-8030

Peter Terzievski

sales@xcelsource.com

malwarebytes@xcelsource.com

 

[Larry Sabo]

From what I've gathered most people break the law and use Malwarebytes, etc to remove infections on customers' computers

I don't believe that's true for most TN members. My perception is that most TNers respect the EULA. Pizza techs, sure, but not legitimate techs.

 

[tekcap]

Becoming a reseller seems like a great idea, but I'm worried about people being too cheap to pay for it because inevitably my price will be a bit higher than most "pizza techs". I would have to find some good selling points to convince customers that they are getting better service going with me.

 

[tekcap]

I don't believe that's true for most TN members. My perception is that most TNers respect the EULA. Pizza techs, sure, but not legitimate techs.

That's good to know since that means most people here will be on the same page when it comes to things like that.
I did Google a few local companies here and I noticed directly on one website they told people that they include a free installation of AVG Free. It seems so rampant that people have no problem being out in the open about it.

 

[TurricanII]

The average small business tends not to think about things too much. Usually someone who can fix computers starts up a business and perhaps hires someone. Most will not think about the legalities of taxes, giving terms of business to clients, insurance, employment contracts, looking after staff etc. etc. until they happen across someone or something that points it out to them. EULA's would probably be right at the bottom of the list for most.

 

[ccritchie]

Don't assume that Malwarebytes is the be all end end all of malware removal tools. Don't get me wrong, it's consistently been a good product for some time, but consider other tools, such as Roguekiller (which has a technician's version available at a very reasonable price - with Technibble discount) or Emsisoft, etc. Also, consider making your removal tools separate from whatever antivirus/antimalware software you offer to the client to keep their system clean after the removal. Be willing to upsell a client on things like Managed Antivirus after an infection. Legit techs are willing to pay for good tools that help them do their jobs, as they realize that the cost of a good tool will be made up in profit in a short time. With malware removal, don't become beholden to one particular tool or process. Things evolve too quickly in the fight against malware to be stuck with one particular tool expecting it to do everything.

 

[Porthos]

Usually someone who can fix computers starts up a business and perhaps hires someone. Most will not think about the legalities of taxes, giving terms of business to clients, insurance, employment contracts, looking after staff etc. etc. until they happen across someone or something that points it out to them. EULA's would probably be right at the bottom of the list for most.

And then they also debate and not believe the EULA's and terms.

Many started with friends and family and found they were pretty good/ talented fixing computers. Googled things and were able to fix most issues. They experimented with different free programs to clean malware at home and never took into consideration getting PAID to run these tools violated the EULA. Then there"possibly" looking to get legal and see the price of the assorted tools licensed for TECH use and said hell no who's going to find out and they keep on going not caring.

 

[Porthos]

Emsisoft,

Their tech USB not a bad price but not free.

 

[ccritchie]

Their tech USB not a bad price but not free.
View attachment 6269 View attachment 6269

No, it's not free, but it's not a bad price. If you really did 250 removals in a year at $100 each, that's $25,000. From that perspective, the Emsisoft tool is very affordable. Roguekiller is even less than half that, with the discount.

 

[Porthos]

If you really did 250 removals in a year at $100 each,

Some one person techs dont do that many.

Roguekiller

I have a tech license. But that is also another $50yr subscription.

It adds up for the small tech that works out of a home office like some here.

 

[tekcap]

Don't assume that Malwarebytes is the be all end end all of malware removal tools. Don't get me wrong, it's consistently been a good product for some time, but consider other tools, such as Roguekiller (which has a technician's version available at a very reasonable price - with Technibble discount) or Emsisoft, etc. Also, consider making your removal tools separate from whatever antivirus/antimalware software you offer to the client to keep their system clean after the removal. Be willing to upsell a client on things like Managed Antivirus after an infection. Legit techs are willing to pay for good tools that help them do their jobs, as they realize that the cost of a good tool will be made up in profit in a short time. With malware removal, don't become beholden to one particular tool or process. Things evolve too quickly in the fight against malware to be stuck with one particular tool expecting it to do everything.

This was excellent, thank you!

 

[tekcap]

Another quick question! I've noticed a few AV/Anti-Malware companies offer free tools. MalwareBytes for example offers their "Junkware Removal Tool". Are these tools free for commercial use as a tech?

 

[Kitten Kong]

@tekcap read the eula's of which ever software programs your looking at using. And check for yourself.

You would learn a lot more by reading it yourself and finding out, rather than having it handed to you on a plate.

 

[Digital Micro]

Personally I switched from using Malwarebytes to Emergency Kit from Emsisoft.

I don't do a lot of residential client computers. The ones I do clean I will install MSE and a 1 user license for Malwarebytes. My business clients get the managed av through Emsisoft.

Some stated earlier that a tech on here was advertising to put AVG free on computers after clean up. Doesn't the Technibble forms state a tech might install software on the users behalf? Would that not allow him the ability to do it? if he uses the forms.

 

[Porthos]

Some stated earlier that a tech on here was advertising to put AVG free on computers after clean up.

What was used to clean that computer?

 

[Digital Micro]

What was used to clean that computer?

Don't know. That's not what the original post mentioned. He or She metlntioned them installing it.

 

[tekcap]

@tekcap read the eula's of which ever software programs your looking at using. And check for yourself.

You would learn a lot more by reading it yourself and finding out, rather than having it handed to you on a plate.

Agreed, and I have been doing that with everything I find, but I can't find the EULA for the Junkware Removal Tool offered by Malware Bytes. The only thing I know is that the tool was acquired by them a few years back and they incorporated it into Malware Bytes, but also offer it as a stand alone free utility.

 

[DataMedics]

That's good to know since that means most people here will be on the same page when it comes to things like that.
I did Google a few local companies here and I noticed directly on one website they told people that they include a free installation of AVG Free. It seems so rampant that people have no problem being out in the open about it.

I suppose if you have the client run the installer themselves and check the box agreeing to the EULA it's "legal"ish to put AVG on there. Just can't do it for them. I think most guys don't care about this because they figure it's impossible to prove who actually installed a copy of the free AV onto the client's computer later on.