Symantec urges pcAnywhere users to ditch software after code theft

Symantec has warned people to stop using its pcAnywhere software after hackers linked to Anonymous claimed they had obtained its source code.

In a note on its website, Symantec said that the theft of the source code occurred in 2006 and that the hacking collective known as Anonymous had threatened to release it publicly.

"Symantec can confirm that a segment of its source code has been accessed. Upon investigation of the claims made by Anonymous regarding source-code disclosure, Symantec believes that the disclosure was the result of a theft of source code that occurred in 2006."

The company added that there was no evidence that customer information had been exposed. Investigations by Symantec have shown that the theft is limited to 2006 versions of Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition, Norton Internet Security, Norton SystemWorks and pcAnywhere.

Due to the age of the source code stolen, it poses little threat to users. The company recommended that people adhere to 'best practices' such as making sure software is up to date.

However, users of pcAnywhere are being urged to either stop using the software or limit their use of it for 'business critical purposes':

"At this time, Symantec recommends disabling the product until Symantec releases a final set of software updates that resolve currently known vulnerability risks."

The leak of the source code could mean that users of pcAnywhere are at increased risk of data interception, which could give hackers access to personal or company information.

Concerned customers can find our more information on the Symantec website. Users or business users of pcAnywhere can access security recommendations from Symantec.