Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Anti-Viral Software Recommendations?

Posted by Cliff on from the we've-been-getting-a-lot-of-these-lately dept.

Kris_J asks: "My InoculateIT Personal Edition anti-virus scanner will no longer be updated from around mid-March. I've really enjoyed this package, particularly the price (it's free for personal use). The company is complaining that so many new ways are being found for virii/worms/trojans to spread that they can't afford to keep the personal edition updated. Whatever. Does anyone have a recommendation for either a particular anti-virus package/bundle, or a good place for trusted, independant, reviews of anti-virus software, or even products to avoid. (If Zonealarm Pro was bundled with an anti-virus option I'd just get that.)" For those of you who have to deal with operating systems where viruses are a problem, what software do you use to detect them and weed them out? How about software that will scan your entire network?

4 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Who needs anti-viral software? by larien · · Score: 3, Insightful

    However, there have been cases where e.g. cover disks for magazines have been infected with virii, as well as some other disks. Even if you only open 'trusted' attachments, you can still get hit. Also, some viruses have been able to launch themselves despite not being explicitly opened in some cases.

  2. Norton Internet Security 2002 by Tumbleweed · · Score: 3, Informative

    This is a great product. It includes Norton's AntiVirus product (much better than McAfee, in my experience), as well as their 'software' firewall product (based on AtGuard). It also can block web ads in your browser. Very nice product, lots of features, and well worth the price.

  3. I use McAfee by Eigenray · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unfortunately, I can't tell you what I think of it.
    Uh oh, by telling you I use it you might assume that I think it's great, so let me tell you right now that may or may not be the case.

  4. You *need* a server side virus scanner by Nailer · · Score: 3, Informative

    Scanning for and removing mail viruses should be handled by your mail gateway (as well as your desktops for the following reasons).
    1) This way viruses are removed from your network at first opportunity
    2) You can bounce messages and let the sender / recipient / admin know the sender has a potential virus problem
    3) One server is easier to maintain than a few hundred desktops
    3) 2 layers provide more protection than one
    4) Why waste resources getting virus laden enail to desktops? A mail gateway provides a convenient choke point to get this stuff out of your network ASAP.

    With that in mind here's a guide I wrote for my employer for doing so at clients, using Red Hat Linux, Postfix, and Sophos MailMonitor.

    In the setup outlined below,
    1) Postfix accepts incoming mails on port 25 and leads them to a content_filter.
    2) The content_filter is Sophos MailMonitor, which takes over the mails on port 10025. After the mails have been scanned, they are placed back to postfix on port 10026.
    3) Finally postfix delivers the mails.

    Anyway, you should be able to read the guide at my rather unfinished website in a short while. If it isn't there yet, it will be soon.