Company Anti-virus Management
By Russ Finney
June 15, 1997
Computer virus infections continue to plague MIS departments all over the world. Unfortunately, this problem has reached a point that valuable MIS time now has to be dedicated to the detection, prevention, and disinfection of viruses on millions of computer systems.
Companies must implement policies and procedures to insure that their computer systems remain reasonably safe from virus contaminations. A few of these important considerations are outlined below:
- One person within the company should have central responsibility for anti-virus management.
- Corporate policies and procedures should be implemented which clearly outline protection software policies and responsibilities.
- Anti-virus software should be obtained for installation on the following computer system platforms: end user PCs, backroom servers, and internet gateways.
- A procedure must be developed for regularly obtaining the most recent virus "signature" files from the anti-virus software vendors.
- A procedure must be developed for distributing these updates to all computer system platforms on a regular basis.
Fortunately, the internet can play a key role in the anti-virus management process. The most current software releases, signature files, and virus alerts are now available for instant viewing and downloading. In this week's column we will examine two of the major products supported by internet based anti-virus services: Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee VirusScan.
Anti-Virus Information Centers
A good starting point for learning more about "locking-out" virus contaminations is the information databases maintained by both vendors. These databases contain technical information, white papers, and virus descriptions. Both sites also contain information related to the establishment of appropriate company policies and procedures.
Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center
The SARC is the internet site maintained by the Symantec team supporting Norton Anti-Virus. The SARC contains general virus prevention information, and it is also home for the "new virus" incident reporting area.
McAfee Virus Information Library
The McAfee team maintains a very straight forward database of fundamental virus prevention information and data. These listings are clearly organized and easy to use.
The Top 10 Virus Lists
If you have been dealing with virus contaminations, you will probably recognize the offending virus names on these lists. Personally, I prefer to to watch both lists, because each vendor reports their own individual incident experience. Periodically checking both lists can you give a good picture of the potential virus issues which are lurking out there waiting to disrupt your business.
Symantec Top 10 Virus List
The most prevalent virus contaminations as reported by Symantec.
McAfee Top 10 Virus List
The most prevalent virus contaminations as reported by McAfee.
Virus Hoaxes
Do you ever get an E-Mail from a co-worker warning you of an impending virus disaster? It usually reads something like: "Do not open a file if it is called - freecash.exe. If you, do your hard drive will be erased!". Have you ever wanted some independent verification of this information?
Both Norton and McAfee maintain "hoax lists" on their web sites. These are useful for confirming these warnings. A good policy to implement is that only one person in the company is authorized to send out virus warnings. He or she should confirm the existence of the virus before distributing a warning which might cause unwarranted end user concern.
Norton Virus Hoax List
McAfee's list of misleading virus warnings.
McAfee Virus Hoax List
Norton's list of misleading virus warnings.
Virus Download Resources
Both Norton and McAfee maintain extensive download resources on the internet. The downloads are for multiple products, are available on many platforms, and are for various protection purposes. If you choose one of these two vendors as your anti-virus software supplier, someone in your company should visit these sites frequently to obtain the latest software updates and signature files.
Norton Anti-virus Download Center
The primary source of Norton Anti-Virus demonstration software, product upgrades, and virus signature files.
McAfee Anti-virus Download Center
The primary source of McAfee Anti-Virus demonstration software, product upgrades, and virus signature files.
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Copyright © 1999, Russ Finney, All Rights Reserved. Originally written for The Mining Company.
