Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!giza.cis.ohio-state.edu!francis
From: francis@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (RD Francis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Disinfectant 2.0 vs SAM vs ?
Message-ID: <82866@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: 9 Aug 90 20:41:14 GMT
References: <53318215MES@MSU>
Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: Ohio State Computer Science
Lines: 31

In article <53318215MES@MSU> 18215MES@MSU.BITNET writes:
<There seems to be some debate here as to which app is the best
<for protecting ones MACs from those nasty viruses.
<I think that the init which comes with Disinfectant 2.0 is
<quite sufficient for my and the MACs I oversee.
<However, at a recent meeting of the Appletalk (Ethertalk) users
<group here on campus, others seemed to favor SAM. It checks floppies
<when you put them into the MAC, and apparently the company which
<produces the product sends out postcards to the purchasers informing
<them of new viruses, and how to configure SAM to fight the new virus.
<
<I feel that a regular check on the net for new versions of Disinfectant
< - and postings about new viruses - is sufficient, and besides,
<it works quite well, and best of all IT's Free!

I feel that the combination of GateKeeper Aid, GateKeeper,
Disinfectant, and Disinfectant Init are generally sufficient to
prevent/detect viral problems.  Disinfectant tends to be the first
viral utility to be able to handle the effects of a new virus
(although, not infrequently, Virus Detective or other things like it
can detect viruses more quickly).  Generally, those postcards won't
reach you as quickly as you could download the latest Disinfectant
from the net.

One advantage to commercial products:  since you pay for them, they
have more incentive to continue to support their product.

One disadvantage:  that still won't stop them from dropping it if it
is unprofitable, or from going out of business.
--
R David Francis   francis@cis.ohio-state.edu