This suite` is divided into three components–NetShield Console
for Win NT 4 and Novell NetWare for file server protection; McAfee VirusScan for clients–Win 9x, DOS/Win 3.x, OS/2, and Win NT 4 Workstation; and GroupShield, which consists of agents for Microsoft Exchange Server and Lotus Notes, which scans all incoming and outgoing e-mail. The suite also has a component called WebScan X for clients and servers and checks all e-mail attachments, Web downloads, and Java and ActiveX plug-ins for viruses.
Implementing the security suite on a network is fairly simple. You have to install NetShield on the server, and the client component on the respective clients. WebScan X, goes on both clients and servers, and GroupShield components go on your messaging server. The Win 9x and NT clients require a reboot after installation. You can also install NetShield on other servers. Product documentation isn’t very good and needs to be more comprehensive.
The client–McAfee VirusScan
Main features |
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VirusScan has some neat features. Its virus console lets you control various tasks, such as initiating and scheduling virus scans, auto updates, etc. You can also add new tasks–scanning specific drives, or specific file formats such as compressed files, etc, and define the kind of action to take upon virus detection–clean, delete, or move an infected file.
You can scan all shared drives on your network, and schedule your virus signature updates. You can configure it to update itself from a particular FTP site or from a computer on your network.
However, it doesn’t have different scanning modes like fast scan, complete scan, etc, that are found in other packages.
NetShield NT
NetShield NT provides on-access scanning of network drives, where it does real-time virus scanning of all files being accessed on the server. It also lets you create on-demand tasks. These are drive-scanning tasks whereby you can schedule automatic scanning of network drives or even individual workstations. All shared drives on the network can be scanned. One good feature is that you can remotely administer other NT servers on the network and configure them according to your needs.
Total Virus Defence 4.02 |
Anti-virus solution for networks. Price: (With free updates and upgrades) For one year: Rs 3,558 per user (10-25 users), Rs 2,726 per user (26-50 users) For two years: Rs 4,605 per user (10-25 users), Rs 3,558 per user (26-50 users). Pros: Remote installation of NetShield server; set up your own virus scanning tasks. Cons: Documentation needs to be more comprehensive. Source: N&N Systems & Software 105, Om Chambers 123 A K Marg Kemp’s Corner Mumbai 400036. Tel: 22-3680512/17 Fax: 3680513 E-mail: altaf@bom.nandn.com Website: www.nandn.com |
NetShield also has good logging capabilities. You can log all virus alerts in the Windows application log. Scheduled scanning is the same as in VirusScan.
Managing the setup
The auto updating of anti-virus signatures in NetShield is pretty good. Apart from scheduled updates, it can post the update to a distribution server for downloading by clients. NetShield also uses heuristics, which identifies new and previously unknown macro viruses.
The package has good alert features. You can send alert notifications to computers, via e-mail, or to printers. You can broadcast messages to everyone on the network, as long as the clients have a messaging service like Win Popup running to receive the alerts. The server can also be managed through SNMP (Simple Networking Management Protocol). You can set SNMP traps to send alerts to network management systems. It also has a DMI (Disk Management Interface) enabling option, which can display alert messages on the DMI management console.