Category: Anti-virus utility
Name of tool: myCIO.com Virus Scan ASAP
Company name: Network Associates, Inc.
Price: 15-day free trial, then for as few as two computers begins at
$50/desktop/year, with quantity user discounts
URL: http://www.mycio.com/content/virusscan_asap/default.asp
Windows platforms supported: 95, 98, NT (running SP 4 or better) and
2000
Quick description: A browser-based anti-virus scanner that loads a
minimal amount of software on each desktop. The desktop component works
with an Internet-based service to keep viruses from infecting your PC.
Strom-meter:
*** = Hey, not bad. One notch below very cool
Key features:
Anti-virus scanning is all done via a browser, there is no software to
download and install (see Cons). The product can manually scan your
computer or scan it automatically upon boot time. It also automatically
checks for updates to its virus pattern recognition files and will
install them.
Pros:
Simplicity is this product's main virtue. There is virtually little for
any user to do to operate this product.
Cons:
Having minimal controls is also a drawback. If something goes wrong,
Virus Scan ASAP may be hard to troubleshoot, and you might have to
reinstall it to fix any problems.
Description:
I've been a loyal user of Symantec/Norton Anti-Virus software for
several years. That is, until lately, when I switched to myCIO.com's
Anti-Virus ASAP product. Why did I switch? Several reasons. First off,
I got tired of doing the updates on each of my desktops. Anti-virus
software is a long-term commitment, not just a passing fancy. You need
to regularly update your software to include protection for the latest
virus patterns, since the bad guys are regularly creating new and more
destructive viruses. Second, if you run a small network, you can't
easily do these updates: you either have to walk around to every
machine and make sure they happen as scheduled or else install a
special, dedicated machine to act as an update server. Neither is a
very attractive proposition. Finally, the anti-virus software from
Norton is very closely tied to the operating system version. If you
upgrade from 98 to 2000, as I did, you first have to uninstall the A-V
software before you do the upgrade.
Wouldn't it be nice, I thought, if I could find an anti-virus managed
service provider to get around these issues? That's where myCIO comes
in. The service, which is run by Network Associates, owners of the
McAfee A-V software line, makes use of the Internet to handle updates,
keep track of reports, and do all the dirty work involved in keeping
your desktops virus free. And the cost is very reasonable: less than
$50 per desktop per year. MyCIO actually offers two managed services:
Virus Scan (discussed here) and Virus Screen, focused on email
protection.
One of the biggest differences between myCIO and Norton is in the
desktop control of the scanning process. With Norton, you have a full-
blown Windows application, with lots of controls and buttons to push to
accomplish different tasks. With myCIO's Virus Scan, you have a small
desktray icon, and you can't do much beyond continuously monitoring
your disk for viruses. For example, Norton can schedule weekly scans of
your entire desktop's hard disk. With Virus Scan, you have to do these
manually and they seem to take longer. With Norton, you also have more
control over the types of files you scan and what files you don't.
Not everything is peachy with this software. I first installed it as
part of a promotion with my SonicWall firewall. Sonic has a nifty
feature which blocks Internet access such as web browsing and email
from your network until you have installed myCIO's A-V scanner on each
desktop. However, I had problems getting this to work and ended up
disabling the access feature on my firewall, although the A-V myCIO
scanner still works fine on each of my desktops. If you do have trouble
with Virus Scan, your only recourse is to first remove the software and
then re-install it. Network Associates should have something better
here.
If you have a network of 10-100 desktops, then consider Virus Scan from
myCIO. It simplifies virus scanning and protection at a very reasonable
cost, and eliminates the many headaches that come with desktop
management for anti-virus protection.
Strom-meter key:
**** = Very cool, very useful
*** = Hey, not bad. One notch below very cool
** = A tad shaky to install and use but has some value.
* = Don't waste your time. Minimal real value.
David Strom is president of his own consulting firm in Port Washington,
NY. He has tested hundreds of computer products over the past two
decades working as a computer journalist, consultant and corporate IT
manager. Since 1995, he has written a weekly series of essays on web
technologies and marketing called Web Informant. You can send him email
at david@strom.com.
