Zimbabwe start-up releases first beta of virus protection program

L.S.M Kabweza
April 8th, 2011

A local start-up, TechTribe, has released the first beta version of a virus protection program it’s calling Viral Suppressor. The software is available for free download on www.vs.co.zw, and TechTribe is encouraging visitors to download and try the software.

TechTribe was founded by Tawanda Katsaruware and Simon Mambariza. Katsaruware, a former Chinhoyi University of Technology student who is the technical lead and developer of the software, says he developed the program as part of his final year project for his first degree in 2009. The duo is working on a professional version of the software, which they say will be ready for release later this year.

We met Katsaruware and Mambariza at their offices in Harare where they demoed the software and shared with us the inspiration behind it. According to them, the software can provide basic protection to Microsoft Windows based computers, all without any need to download virus definition updates the way regular anti-viruses do:

All antivirus products require updates, which, without these, your antivirus is virtually useless. The updates have to be acquired over the internet. Here in Zimbabwe, the majority of computer users do not have internet connections. Others have it but it is either too slow or too expensive to download the updates that range in size from 40 to 100MB. ($8 to $20 per update on Econet rates).

So I decided to find a way to protect users of developing countries like Zimbabwe. I had to find a solution that requires no internet whatsoever so everyone could be protected from viruses whether they have an antivirus or not.

Asked if Viral Suppressor can be used in place of regular anti-virus programs, Katsaruware said that for the purposes of testing Viral Suppressor one can keep their regular anti-virus program adding proudly that “The VS basically starts where your antivirus stops. It covers the shortfalls of your antivirus program”.

We had a long discussion about this and it kind of didn’t come out clearly how much different VS is from a regular anti-virus or where it lacks versus where it’s better. We don’t blame them though; the program is in its first beta. We’d be shocked if it can outdo mature anti-virus programs like those by McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro and the like. We’d happy if you readers try the software and add your comments `below.

Katsaruware also explained that Viral Suppressor can reverse changes made to a computer after a virus has been removed noting that most regular anti-viruses only remove the infection and stop there.

On how the project will be resourced, Katsaruware said TechTribe is in discussions with Chinhoyi University of Technology for possible technical partnership on further development of the software.

This entry was posted in Security, Startups, Web and tagged Anti-Virus, Simon Mambariza, Start-ups, Tawanda Katsaruware, Viral Suppressor. Bookmark the permalink.

http://www.motionraw.co.uk Michael

Pretty useful for the 3 days i have had it on my machine, guys don’t take any negative feedback badly, just look to the positive side of the negative feedback and aim for the sky! You have our full support here at Motion Raw Solutions!

I will also publish this story on Ngoda Business Blog, http://www.ngoda.wordpress.com to spread the word!
VS Critique

@Ocybergateway: Techtribe guys have come up with something quite innovative considering that this was a project that began at varsity. Lets give them all the encouragement and positive criticism so that they will keep on improving their product. Shooting them down like that before you even tested the program will get us nowhere as Zimbabweans. Honestly speaking, the project you claim to be working on will not benefit the business community as the other person said, business is being done in English and i dont see why you’d like to waste time doing those translations in Shona. Besides there are so many softwares out there that already does what you are trying to do. I’m sure if you were as intelligent as you portray you wouldn’t have wasted your time starting that project. Wake up man and do something more meaningful. To Techtribe i say hats off guys, just try and work with others like the other guy suggested, that way you’ll get even much better ideas to improve your product. You could even start an online technical group that would test your product and give advice, also dont limit your product to Zimbabwe, go all out there and you’ll start seeing good results. One thing you have to know is that this product is not only intended to those who cant afford expensive anti-viruses or those who have no access to internet, NO, as for me i wouldnt pay for an expensive anti-virus program when i can get a cheaper one that does the same job even better and am sure there are so many of us out there. Well done guys, keep up the good work.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Well guys I dont want to unleash any form of critique. As of now. I will be infesting two VM on a Linux distro of my choice.

After that I would like the start-up owners to give me their details and their website so I can do some pen testing.

I will then unleash some hell to both the Anti Virus then their site and lastyly I will be back with a feed back. Please do give me a week and a weekened. I am a certified ethical hacker and from what this guys is talking I highly doubt he understands how a malicious piece of software is meant to compromise the state and function of a machine.

I have been involved in software exploitation and I have workd withj the guys at sitepoint.co.za . IT DOESNT TAKE KNOWLEDGE OF PACKAGING A PIECE OF SOFTWARE tp create and antivirus.

Who of the guys and who from that under funded university is capable enough to understand Virii heuristics and create logic that can scan and identify a malicous piece of software.

Im known to be hard of such start-up but due to concerns from guys like Nhava and many other I have Kritiqued I will reserve my words for now till I prove how useless this idea is.

Just to politely say this is a dumb idea. Virus definations (vdi) files are updated to the fraction of the minute how then can a company that clearly does not have an Internet presence and forefront be able to inhibit the rath of a malicious script.

Im coming to Zimbabwe in a few months to come. I will try and help you guys understand what it is you shouldnt be doing or starting. TechZim thans for bringing this guys to the scene.

I think I personally feel it could have been good that he kept that “school” project in the closet. The real world of business security and Info Sec calls for Pen Testers and not Antivirus development. Thats a blant Idea guys. Go and Study Info Sec and become Pen Testers not this nonsense guys.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

This is Child Play man. Wish I had never read such a disturbing foolish start-up
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

“I dont think a Zimbabwean can get into software engineering at an university in Chinhoyi and come up with serious stuff like this. ”

Who ever said that was right. Mr Kabweza I would like to leaf plane fly you

On a serious note Forensic Heuristics arent at all Chibhubhu bussiness. Please forgive me for not being that profesional on this but Uhu hudofo.

These could have sold a better idea as Pen Test profesionals. But I can tell you this. These guys arent at all Security or Infosec experts. A true infosec profesional doesnt at all use the word “doesnt need updates”. Thats FOOLISH talk.

I will reserve my time and get back to my work.

I personally feel I have been disturbed by such nonsense
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Ahh shame Mr Joe Black. Go ahead and spend a Century trying to re invest a wheel and we will surely telll you how DUMB you are.

There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better Info Sec solution on the Market Highly Funded. The solution is not in creating an Antivirus which we all know is utter Mess Code. Everyone can code such an application.

I personally am not a Graduate but I could even advise these Musiyamwa coders to stop before they follow Nhava
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Ha Ha Ha. To even think reall inovation is behind lecturer is so not “cool” . Varaidzanai ikoko muri mega mega. Muchinyeperana CUT who wat wat. Muchasvinudzana henyu.

Endai kuchikoro zvigumire kuma projects enyu ne ma teacher enyu ikoko. Im sure not all Zimbabweans are that Desperate well not all wise chaps can put an ear to such foolishness.

Serious Work !! I smile I laugh I wont mock but I loathe such words. Our Country is Under funded to even think of the least
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

You right man. Well I should think I knoe the man behind this comment. You are right in all you have said only a small point of corection. NEVER in the world of Infosec is it possible to have a plartform that isnt maliciously compromised least we go back to hard state computing.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

KKKK so you want to Build Rome by running arround creating sand instead of brinks. Inventing watter instead of digging wells.

Surely this Rome you are building is child’s play
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Any Virus caught as yet. Well unfortunately I wont be having time to sample such a piece of software. Honestly this could create a even worse breach to any security layer.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

All thumbs to you and I wish you remove that “Im really sorry” Its actually sorry that they find a fat chest out of garbage talk. You are right man it ll comes down to resources
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Its easy just call the TechZim guy to you 2 minute office pa Zimex mall paya. Tell him gibberish and we spend hours on end talking about your code.

Who would be coming to Zimbabwe to open a laptop and read what a Shona Girls is talking. Oh simply put could I use it to translate for SRB oaks that try and talk english.

A bug to watch for. Im a Karanga looking at a South African palchrutide lady would I shout to it. Mwana uri tsvarakadena munzi zvobgodo svusvura ndadya mhohi yomuchirimo — Child you are —- decoding please be patient missing data– User agent – Chikomana dzokorora

Think were the money is Aaron. These guys are dead broke in 2 weeks watch my mouth I said it and Nhava is vanished
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Mack do you really have time to download such nonsense. Hande totamba pada nevamwe.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Im a profesional part time info sec and a certified Ethical Hacker and just from that the following statement is insanely stupid and shallow. Its not that at all Man Sorry sorry sorry man.

Hazvisi zvekuvhiya N’ombe mosvina matumbu izvi. We talking malicisou algorithms that are coded by someone who isnt even from a University. Well Im not even from a Univeristy I loathe Uni guys big time.

“”"”"”"a Virus, dear people is JUST A PROGRAM!!! it uses RAM like all the other programs do. It runs from a harddrive like every other program. they are not as complex as you may think. they are actually very predictable. there are limited ways a virus can do its job on your computer. limited ways they can enter or leave your computer. limited places they can hide. they have roughly the same purpose of creation no matter how different they are. And the Viral Suppressor knows how they work. Simple.”"”"”"”

Tawanda kasi ndozvamunenge muchitaura ku bhora doro rapera?

If It was predictable would there be a million dollar industry to talk about. Would I be employed to pen test would there actually be the need for Info Sec would Microsoft charge Enterprises Fortunes for Microsoft Forefront when Viruses are predictable.

This is not for shallow minds man.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

When you mentioned wake up and do something more meaningful I almost thought you were wise for a second. I later realised you think Creatng an AntiVirus is a meaningful idea. Ever checked how much money is put in compiling virii databases. Do you think Symantec doesn’t dream for such stuff with all the Highly sophisticated business experience, knowledge resources and money.

Veduwe. I always say this. Zimbabwe is not at all desperate for such so called foolish start-ups.

Go on and get infected by Viruses than adding this easily compromised piece of software.

Does this little Home Work project understand whats called a RootKit?
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Man please add me to linked in…. I also am a fan of Zimbabwean cooked Sadza and Mazondo. I apreciate the innovation tha is put in the crafting of arts and the invention of a Nyatera. I aploud sound ideas. I for a second apploud that guy that built a helicopter I obviously look if anyone is watching though.

How Much are school fees that graduates have found their paths in such shameful last for money. Software engineering is not money changer business its not “Madhiri” . Zvakavhariswa zveku be=urner mari now you talking of creating Antiviruses lol ashh shame
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

You right on that C++ simply means plus 1. C plus 1.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Actually what you dont realise is any piece if stupidly coded piece of software that interferes with the security layer of a Microshaft Distro open a loop for attack. Technically it is possible to simply port an app on that server and call it their app build name and deploy it out to all you computing stingy fools that dont realise if you are that broke then Ubuntu is for you.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

shame to you
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

So you better than iron geek right. Thats if you knoe Iron geek. Well what you are talking about isnt at all something you could claim could be better than what a Nod 32 engineer could imagine possible. Simply put its doesnt take knowing a computer to create a solutions obviously it takes me. You dont just graduate from a lecturers face and make it into the info sec industry. You think these busineses invest in Nod 32 oremium licenses coz they are foolish or well they have Dumb It profesinals whom you seem to be clever than.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

“blow your horn. The claim that NOD32,AVIRA,NORTON could not pick up the virus for 2 MONTHS is full of 5HIT. Most of them did pick the virus up but they don’t remove the shortcuts. thats when u use app like Sergiwa Antiviral Toolkit to clean up the mess”

Tell em tell em
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

I made it a promise not to put my valued eyes on this piece of nonsense. I want to talk to the CEO of this start-up I have two … him not two seconds obviously but a few words in two lines. In simple words could you be healed by a medicine for a 1984 polio disease or rather lets use caugh serup to heal all viruses.

What acomputer doctor these guys are. If my computer is sick of noobyCode they give me a 4MB dose of Woods(caugh Serup) if I have Cyphilis they Give me that one drug.

Haaa Nonsense
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Im sorry man Im not with you on this one. ek ek ek what are you saaaaying. Iwe iwe hatisi kutamba bhora pano.
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Nxce heya. Esset os so foolish to send me 20 MB files of Viri defination everyday. When It cam be done in a 4MB Zimbabwean University code
http://www.facebook.com/nerudo.mregi Nerudo Curtis Mregi

Haa David @CodeBreaker is just one of those spammers dont take him seriously. He probably has run outter econet airtime.
Unstoppable

All great people, great inventions, great monuments, great success stories, start from here. Concentrate your energizes more advise on how you can improve it further not on those who say it’s crap. Be glad also that you have such, because tommorrow (those who say it’s crap) they will make part of your inspirational success story. (when finally you’ll have proved the wrong) Check all the great guys you know google, microsoft, facebook, appple mac, infosystems, tata etc at some point they were told it’s crap, its impassible, their mental capacity is on the wrong side, ngavaende kumusha vandorima and so on. henry ford was told his mechanical junk would never beat the horse,would not last 2years and the horse will be used till forever, but look now how somebody’s dream changed the world (feel sorry for the horses though, all they do is horse racing in one course everyday can’t explore the world like cars do) Get people to test the product, work on improvements and build around that. If you use windows version 3.1 you will know what some of these guys are saying its just un-ne-se-sa-ri negativity. Windows is now very robust, functional and aesthetic but it had to start there! Well done guys, let this be a founding block for bigger things to come. Work on various other applications that can complement your software development business. I don’t see why young Zimbabweans entrepreneurs, with such great ideas should not make it. Build a team of serious business people around you who are prepared to support you, I am one of those, if you need some investment. kudzai@emultimediabox.com, http://www.emultimediabox.com
achitate

first and for most, i prefer to sample the coffee before i spit it out, but guess what tryd to access the vs website and their web bandwidth is exceeded had set up a virtual machine just to give them a fighting chance, am now more skeptical, viruses have been there for ages and updates are synonymous with antivirus software as these virus coders become more ingenious at exploiting loop holes in operating systems, education aside common sense being first, situation 1 how do you protect a pc from a virus that may come next week, that exploits a loophole in internet explorer 9 auto-update feature, food for thought, situation 2, the virus is in the computer its corrupting your word files how does vs repair such damage food for thought,
tinma@n

Congratulations on the launch of the product. Not meaning to throw a dead cat into the fanfare, some fundamentals have to be highlighted.

It is impossible to create an effective antivirus that requires no updates for two reasons:

1) many viruses and related malicious programs are written everyday
2) patches and updates notoriously introduce new flaws that can potentially be exploited. Particularly so with Windows(the most vulnerable OS)

Anyone in IT worth his/her salt should know that (and its not really the rocket science of IT).

Here is some advice to the start-up as I will not waste time cautioning people, as they have been already cautioned through other comments.

1) Submit the application to trusted sites like ( http://download.cnet.com/ ) who will thoroughly review and comment on your product (quality and claimed effectiveness). Another worth mentioning is PC World ( http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/downloads.html )

2) I havent installed it yet, but those interested could test it using the standard EICAR (European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research) Test.Download files here: http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

3) Ensure you live up to your claims and only say what the product can do. Misleading people can have irreversible repercussions to the product and possibly your names as developers. Security is very sensitive.

All the best!
muzukuru

Dude, you got it all wrong, you are too quick to get offended. No need to bring God into this. Stick to the points and facts. Here is a fact, resources are not evenly distributed, meaning you will gush @ having a Nokia 3310 in Zim whereas in US kids are gushing @Tablets, such is life. All these guys are saying is, no matter how much brains you have been blessed with, as long as other factors are not permitting such technology, you will only go this far and this far is not is not impressing some of us who live and eat better technology. To some of us you are only reinventing the wheel, you are backward in other words, or maybe politely, your invention, brilliant as it may be, came too late on the scene. So stop throwing stones at critics, they know better cz they have seen better. You can only go as far as your resources can permit you. End of story
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001365202379 Greg Chiponda

u’re sentiments are the antithesis of innovation
entrepreneurship. its basically an inferiority complex afraid of the big
guys mentality. if any of u evaluated the software and indicated the
flaws , i would have said there is substance in ur assertations but alas
u’re just consumed with an inferiority complex.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001365202379 Greg Chiponda

as they say New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can’t be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it’s not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along! this has happened to all new ideas (those that have succeeded and those that have not)
muzukuru

LOL. me thinks you are one of those kids who used to sit at the back, who is doing things that the front group has since done long back. You are seeing symbols that others have since seen longback … try the front desk so you can impress some of us, the real buyers and users else you will keep impressing you fellow backbenchers, only pats on the back and no real $$
http://twitter.com/oscarmanduku Oscar Manduku

You guys are heroes, keep it up hey!
Guruuswa

Ocybergateway, why is it that your english morphed from appalling to perfect in the space of a few paragraphs? Stop trolling dude. This software is not a trivial effort. Skill was put into it. It is made in zimbabwe. Be proud and stop trying to make us look bad. Your own efforts in c++ are commendable but you are actually the one who is in way over your head with that speech synthesis thing. How will you manage accents and dialects? Also, i cannot find a single practical use for a tool that does that.

To the developer of this software, nice work, we appreciate.
Sakupa

I ran the program. Its not bad at all but i noticed a few gotchas that
make it sub-par in the cleaning tool industry. One, that EULA looks like its got more holes in it than a golfball. You can either
make this thing open source, so we can help you, or pay a lawyer and get a proper EULA set up. Also, the program does not give me the option to exit, which is irritating. Otherwise, excellent work. I’m sure version 1 will be great, with all this input you’re getting.

ps: your website is nice but it is cold and not very interesting.
Bryantondie

please lets just stick to the main issue here hey hey hey!!!!!!!!

anyway tawaz i send my opinion soon…
http://www.facebook.com/people/Richwell-Captain-Phinias/610331826 Richwell Captain Phinias

Different Contexts of analogue Sir. Think Differently. Make the words mean what you want .

Zimbabwe start-up releases first beta of virus protection program

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