Kaspersky Lab anti-virus error leads to user fury

Scores of Windows machines crashed today after a tainted Kaspersky Lab anti-virus update severed internet access for enterprises and home users.

The update, which has since been corrected with a subsequent fix, caused HTTP traffic to ground to a halt on Windows platforms.

Angry users took to Twitter to vent steam and ask Kaspersky how to address the problem. One Australian IT manager, speaking to SC Magazine Australia on condition of anonymity, said he arrived at his business to find workstations crippled and a backlog of user support requests. He said his Windows XP and Windows 7 64-bit machines were affected.

A Kaspersky engineer told SC that users that have updates handled through the security centre will have the fix automatically applied, while others will need to disable web anti-virus first.