Business class Virus Scanner

[Poppa_Meth]

We are installing a new register system as work in the near future. I'm looking for a good corperate level anti-virus to install on it. The tech that is helping us set up the system is recommending McAfee Active VirusScan SMB Edition. I've never been a fan of McAfee but he's telling me that this version has a small footprint compared to their consumer grade products and is much more simple and clean in operation. I'm try to get a few opinions from anyone who's used it and possibly so other recommendations. We'll be running on DSL with a router using built in hardware firewall and of course Windows Firewall can be enabled as well. I don't know if it is really necessary to run a better software firewall as well and if so if I should look for a Virus Scanner with buit in firewall. I've always used both hardware and software firewall and I've kept my AV and Firewall seperate with no issues to speak of. I seem to see all kind of problems with all in one packages.

Any input is appreciated.

[redwudz]

I'm not a McAfee fan either, but I haven't used it in years. I use the freeware AVG. You might look to the network business version of AVG, it has a 2 year license now, and at least the freeware version seems to be fast and unobtrusive.

http://www.grisoft.com/doc/Networks/lng/us/tpl/tpl01

I use a hardware router firewall and the XP firewall, and they get along fine with each other. I haven't really needed a better software firewall. But I also run Protowall for IP blocking.

[guns1inger]

I would not use freeware in a corporate environment. AVG is OK for home use, but I wouldn't trust it to protect a corporate system. CA have enterprise solutions based around their eTrust suite, Nortons also have strong corporate solutions.

I know there is a strong anti-norton sentiment here, and some of their home products have become very large, but there is a reason companies such as Accenture use their corporate solutions to protect their networks and 50,000+ strong laptops fleets - they work and work well. For corporate protection, use industrial strength. After all, it's your job on the line.

The other advantage to most corporate suites is they can be enabled to provide perimiter scanning while machines are on the network (i.e. Virii are picked up before they get to the desktop), as well as dektop protection for machines that might wander - laptops etc.

[Faustus]

I just setup a 23 workstations and a Dual Xenon server for a local Doctors office. For anti virus I had them order a crap Celeron machine with 256mb of RAM and 25 licenses of Symantec Anti Virus Corp. Edition.

You install the Server onto the crap machine, then you can deploy all the AV installs from there provided your machines are on a domain.

Wasn't that had. SAV is kinda heavy resource wise but it does a pretty good job for all its resource eating. They hardly notice since they are running P4 3.0ghz with a gig of RAM though.

The bonus is they have a crap internet connection, so the server downloads the updates and the clients get it from the internal server.

[Poppa_Meth]

Thanks for the input on it. Seems no one is very fond of McAfee. I also keep hearing reports that McAfee and Firefox don't get along too well, something to do with the way FF stores things in JAR files and McAfee constantly tries to scan them as high risk. FF is my prefered browser so I don't want conflicts with it. Gives me a lot to think on. I'm also looking into Kapersky and NOD32 business versions.

[Dv8ted2]

Thanks for the input on it. Seems no one is very fond of McAfee. I also keep hearing reports that McAfee and Firefox don't get along too well.

This is bunk.

The corporate version of Mcafee and Firefox work very well. I can attest to that.

[Poppa_Meth]

Most of what I'm seeing is on the consumer grade products not the corperate so who can really say without trying it myself.