Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!gatech!udel!haven.umd.edu!mimsy!dftsrv!heawk1!hoepfner From: hoepfner@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patrick Hoepfner) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps Subject: Re: Virus Programs Message-ID: Date: 26 Apr 91 00:35:23 GMT References: <2519@lee.SEAS.UCLA.EDU> Sender: news@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov Distribution: comp Lines: 40 weiss@watson.seas.ucla.edu (Michael Weiss) writes: >In article mtucker@greyrock.mso.colostate.edu (Michael R. Tucker) writes: >> newer virus protection programs on the market. (we already have >> Gatekeeper, and Disinfectant) I am looking for info on Symantec >> Antivirus for Mac (SAM). Any reccomendations, cautions, steering >> to other programs? Any help is appreciated............ >You know what? There's not a whole lot to recommend SAM over Gate and Dis. For the purposes you stated, use in a public area by many different people will use the Mac (if I remember correctly) you will find that you will NEED to password protect this file. We have some in a public use area and you may be surprised who messes with the CDEVs and changes things. The other thing is that the authors of Disinfectant and Virus Detective have no plans to update their programs to handle the new HyperCard virus (MacWEEK 4/16/91). SAM and Virex (from Microcom) have been updated to handle thisnew virus. You would have to find out if GateKeeper offers protection from this virus. >Also, SAM is not as user-friendly as Dis. This is a matter of opinion! When you have more features and options you have more items to change. If you don't modify SAM's default settings, then it is as easy to use as Disinfectant (IMHO). Don't get me wrong. I think that there NEEDS to be a freeware or shareware product and I think that John Norstad (author of Disinfectant "freeware") and Jeff Shulman (author of Virus Detective "shareware") should be given a medal. I just think that many Mac's in public use areas need the password protection and audit trail ability that only the commercial packages have. And because of the financial investments of these companies, they will provide the virus updates that John and Jeff may not be able to provide for time and financial reasons. As always, just my thoughts... hoepfner@heasfs.gsfc.nasa.gov NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center