Viruses have been a part of computing for many years. In recent years the frequency of virus infections, and the magnitude
of damage caused has grown incredibly. Viruses depend on the exchange of information to proliferate. Largely due to the
Internet, intra- and inter-company communications are increasing. It is not surprising that viruses have become such a major
concern for most corporations. More than ever, a robust, efficient system for managing and preventing viruses has become
an essential part of an acceptable information infrastructure.
An effective anti-virus solution protects the enterprise at several levels. Depending on the organization, the solution
may include implementations in some or all of the following areas.
Server Anti-Virus
Since most of any given company’s data is stored on their servers, either in the form of files on a file server or as information
stored within a database, web, or mail server, it only makes sense that anti-virus strategies be implemented at this level.
Server anti-virus software can scan files in real-time as they are accessed by the users across the network. Server anti-virus
can also perform scheduled scans of selected or all files during times of low resource utilization.
Workstation Anti-Virus
While server anti-virus systems will protect data stored within the server, and data shared between users via the server,
there are many ways for users to exchange information (and therefore viruses as well) without using the server. Possibilities
include floppy disks, ZIP disks, CD-R’s, peer-to-peer networking, and through web-mail, personal web sites, or ftp systems
on the Internet. As a result, additional protection is often necessary at the workstation level.
Workstation anti-virus systems generally monitor system activity in real-time, scanning files as they are opened to ensure
that viruses are not being executed. If a virus is found while a file is being opened, the anti-virus system will prevent
the virus from executing, and, if instructed to, can generally remove the virus from the computer.
Gateway Anti-Virus Solutions
Gateways provide connectivity between your systems and the outside world. One Example of a gateway is the Internet firewall,
which provides the link between your local network and the Internet. A less obvious example is your mail server, which provides
a connection between your internal users and people outside of your company.
Product-specific anti-virus solutions exist for different types of gateways, including firewalls and mail servers.
Anti-Virus Software Vendors
Many different vendors are currently vying for market share in the anti-virus market. Each of them has their own strengths
and weaknesses. It is important to select a vendor who can support all of the client’s anti-virus needs, not just today,
but over the projected life cycle of the proposed anti-virus solution.