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ANTI VIRUS SOFTWARE
STANDFIRST
Several thousand sneaky self-replicating
programs are running around out there, doing their best to wreak havoc on your
PC. Rick Maybury checks out two more
top-rated anti-virus packages, that promise to keep the nasties at bay
COPY
Anti-virus software is a bit like life
insurance. You don’t want it but you know you need it; it’s just another
unwelcome expense, that you’ll probably never need. So why bother? You’ve got
away with it until now and you’re feeling lucky... With more than 15,000 known computer
viruses in the ‘wild’, and an estimated 300 new ones being created every month,
your luck might just be about to run out.
A lot of viruses do little more than put up
juvenile messages on the monitor screen but there’s plenty more that can do
real harm, from deleting, hiding or corrupting files, to wiping your PC’s hard
disc. They’re coming at you from all directions, on floppy discs and CD-ROMs,
E-mail and the internet. Don’t think that you’re immune, just because you avoid
bootleg software and take a few basic precautions. The commonest virus so far,
the WM/Concept, was unintentionally distributed on a CD-ROM, released by
Microsoft!
A decent virus scanner could save your
system’s bacon, but with more than a dozen packages on the market, where do you
start? In ideal world anti-virus software should be easy to install on your PC,
and once there remain more or less invisible, until an infection occurs. It
should be able to discriminate between genuine viruses and legitimate software
with virus-like characteristics, in other words, no scary false alarms.
Most programs include a library of several
thousand ‘signatures’, unique pieces of code that help identify known viruses. New
ones are being created all the time so anti-virus software should be regularly
updated, and possess a certain amount of intuition, in order to detect as yet
unknown strains, by analysing their behaviour. If an infection is found, the
software should prevent it from causing any damage, but if the worst does
happen, it must be able to put things right, and make sure it doesn’t occur
again, by disinfecting the machine.
Those are all fairly standard features, so
what separates the various programs? The differences are actually quite subtle,
some are better at detecting specific strains or types of virus than others,
their susceptibility to false alarms varies, others have added functionality,
that suits a particular type of system or application.
There’s also quite a difference in the
presentation of the user interface, and documentation. That was clearly evident
when we looked at Quarterdeck PC-Cillin II and Cheyenne Antivirus, back in
issue four of Computer Video. They had quite distinct personalities; Antivirus
favoured advanced users and the terminally paranoid whilst PC-Cillin was easy
to use and just got on with the job, with a minimum of fuss. This month we’re
turning our attention to two of the best known virus-zappers, Dr Solomon’s Anti
Virus Toolkit and Norton Anti Virus Deluxe.
For a more detailed explanation of how the
various types of viruses operate and an overview of detection strategies, refer
back to issue 4.
DR SOLOMON’S ANTI-VIRUS TOOLKIT
If you like to buy your software by weight
then this is the one to go for. The box contains two fat manuals, together
almost one and a half inches thick! Fortunately you only need to wade thought
the half-inch operating manual, covering the various OS permutations. The other
tome is a Virus Encyclopaedia, that explains in detail what viruses are, how
they work, how they’re detected, and lists the names and characteristics of
several thousand of the most common ones. Fascinating bedtime reading for
network managers...
Straight away you get the sense that this is
a serious piece of software; this is just one of several Dr Solomon Toolkit
packages, geared specifically for business users, networks, and -- in the case
of our review sample -- for workstations. The CD-ROM covers DOS, Windows 3.1, 95,
NT and OS2. This version lacks any major on-line/internet facilities so regular
updates -- available for one year, free of charge -- are supplied on disc.
The first step is to run the ‘Magic Bullet’
utility from floppy disc, to ensure a clean installation. When the CD software
has loaded it carries out a full scan before re-booting. The scanner can be
customised, to include or exclude various types of file, engage different
levels of protection, change alert messages and enable password protection.
With luck that’s the last you’ll see of it. At switch on it checks the boot sector and
memory. WinGuard starts at the same time as Windows and thereafter sits in the
background, automatically checking files as they’re opened. There are two
on-demand scanners -- Find Virus and Verify -- that can be scheduled to check
drives and discs for infection. If a virus is detected Virus Guard steps in and
flashes a warning message on the screen; normally it automatically isolate and
disinfect the file.
Dr Solomon’s Toolkit has become the top
selling anti-virus package for several very good reasons. It is good at
catching viruses, it doesn’t get in the way and it happily coexists with a
diverse range of software. It’s flexible and easy to use, this package is well
suited to PCs in the low to moderate risk category, other versions are
available for more vulnerable net PCs.
DR SOLOMON’S ANTI-VIRUS TOOLKIT
How Much £80
System Requirements.
IBM PC or compatible, 386 or higher, 8Mb free
hard disc space, DOS, Windows 3.1/95/NT and OS/2
Media CD ROM, 3.5-in floppies on request
Main Features detects
known and unknown boot sector, polymorphic, stealth and macro viruses, scans
loading files, includes comprehensive virus encyclopaedia
Contact Dr
Solomon’s Software Ltd., telephone (01296) 318700, www.drsolomon.com
CV RATINGS DR SOLOMON’S ANTI-VIRUS TOOLKIT
Ease of use ***
Features ***
Performance *****
Value for money ***
NORTON ANTIVIRUS DELUXE
Antivirus Deluxe is a more relaxed
proposition, to begin with the instruction book is only a quarter of an inch
thick... Straight away it carries out a virus scan then urges the user to
create a set of three emergency discs, covering boot-up and scanning. The on-screen
presentation is a lot simpler too, with neater looking and more informative
dialogue boxes.
Once loaded there’s two levels of operation.
It automatically checks system files and boot records at start-up, scans all
files and programs, as they are opened, carries out a weekly scheduled scan,
looks for unusual activity and checks all floppies. Manual options include
scans of single files, folders or whole drives, the level of protection can be
changed to match the risk profile of the machine and new virus signatures can
be downloaded from the Symantec web site.
When a virus is detected a warning appears.
In Windows 95 the Anti Virus Repair Wizard pops up, this is set by default for automatic
disinfection. Manual elimination is also possible, this includes the option to
repair the infected file, delete the virus, and inoculate the machine by
storing data about the virus, or update an existing file, to prevent future
infection. A scan can be initiated at any time from an icon on the Windows
taskbar, this also includes a range of options, that controls how the program
looks and operates.
The program supports a high level of
customisation, including specifying file extension exclusions, to prevent false
alarms. The appearance of virus alerts and accompanying sound effects can also
be changed, there’s full access to the activity log and scheduler and password
protection can be enabled.
Details of newly discovered viruses are
available free to registered users. A utility called LiveUpdate connects to the
Symantec web site, CompuServe, AOL or the company’s BBS. This can be scheduled
to run automatically or the connection can be made manually.
AntiVirus Deluxe is slickly presented, the
on-line feature simplify signature updates. It’s a well-respected general
purpose scanner that gives a good feeling of security. It doesn’t look
intimidating, the price is fair and it stacks up well against PC-Cillin for
ease of use.
NORTON ANTIVIRUS DELUXE
How Much £53
System Requirements.
IBM PC or compatible, 486 or higher, 10Mb
free hard disc space, DOS/Windows 3.1/95/NT
Media CD ROM
Main Features detects
known and unknown boot sector, polymorphic, stealth and macro viruses, scans
loading files and internet downloads, on-line updates, creates emergency discs,
Crashguard (Win 95/NT only)
Contact Symantec
UK, telephone 0171-616 5600
http://www.symantec.com
CV RATINGS NORTON ANTIVIRUS DELUXE
Ease of use ****
Features ****
Performance ****
Value for money ****
---end---
Ó R. Maybury 1998 1901
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