Buyer's guide to virus protection software. (Special Anniversary Issue) (buyers guide)
by Chantelle Oligschlaeger, Erin Richter
Although your chances of encountering a computer virus are slim, potecting yourself with the right software can give you peace of mind. You may opt to use a reident program that continually monitors your system; you may want to scan new software before you install it. No matter what level of virus protection you're after, you'll find the software you need in this buyer's guide.
Anti-Virus 1.0
Requirements: DOS 3.0 or higher, 512K. Windows supported. Spectrum of viruses: Protects against 400 viruses.
Defense: Memory-resident program removes 95 percent of viruses that it recognizes from infected files, boot sector, or memory. Also immunizes files, giving them their own antivirus capabilities to notify user of any changes and to "heal" themselves.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Central Point Software offers a 24-hour virus hotline, quarterly mailings on new virus signatures and upgrade offers, online support on BBS and CompuServe (GOCENTRAL), and a free virus-protection software update coupon.
Comments: Virus Update command allows users to enter newly discovered virus signatures into Anti-Virus.
CENTRAL POINT SOFTWARE 15220 NW Greenbrier Pkwy., Ste. 200 Beaverton, OR 97006 (800) 445-4208 - customer service (503) 690-8080 - technical support $129
AntiVirusPlus
Requirements: DOS 3.0 or higher, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Not applicable.
Defense: Memory-resident program prevents any penetration of viruses into files and disks. It does not detect individual virus signatures, but it does send a warning if there is hostile activity. AntiVirusPlus also monitors DOS function calls, allowing the user to run an infected program without activating the virus. It scans and removes the virus code from the infected files as it reconstructs the original data.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone, fax, and BBS.
Comments: Site licenses available.
TECHMAR COMPUTER PRODUCTS 97-77 Queens Blvd., Ste. 812 Rego Park, NY 11374 (800) 922-0015 (718) 997-6666 $99.95 (Network prices differ.)
Certus 2.1
Requirements: DOS 3.1 or higher, floppy drive and 128K needed for installation, 3K to 10K needed when resident. Compatible with Windows 3.0. Spectrum of viruses: Protects against more than 300 viruses and variants.
Defense: Memory-resident program detects, identifies, and removes viruses and variants in the computer's memory, boot tracks, and files. Can be configured to prevent infected files from running or to prevent infected files from being copied to or from a system.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Toll-free telephone and BBS support. Free quarterly upgrades included with purchase of maintenance program (cost depends on purchase price). Otherwise, upgrades cost $25 each.
Comments: Corporate licensing is available.
CERTUS INTERNATIONAL 13110 Shaker Sq. Cleveland, OH 44120 (800) 722-8737 $189 (LAN version for $1,399.)
CLEAN-UP
Requirements: DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Protects against 62 viruses as of June 20, 1991.
Defense: Stand-alone program disinfects by removing the viral code and rewriting the cleaned program.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone.
Comments: CLEAN-UP is shareware.
MCAFEE ASSOCIATES 4423 Cheeney St. Santa Clara, CA 95054-0253 (408) 988-3832 $35
Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit
Requirements: DOS 2.0 or higher, 512K. Supports Windows and OS/2 by booting from DOS.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects more than 450 viruses and variants.
Defense: Stand-alone program guards against duplicate infections, protects from outside infections, and inoculates against specific viruses. Checks all the executable files, boot sector, and hard disk partitions. Looks for the patterns that viruses create, enabling it to check for unkown viruses.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone and fax support. Includes first year of quarterly upgrades.
Comments: Site licensing available. Software supplied on read-only disks.
ONTRACK COMPUTER SYSTEMS 6321 Bury Dr. Eden Prairie, MN 55346 (800) 752-1333 $279.95 for one year, Virus Immunization Program available for an additional $395.00 per year.
Flu-Shot+ 1.82
Requirements: 256K. Compatible with Windows.
Spectrum of viruses: Protects against more than 500 viruses.
Defense: Memory-resident and stand-alone programs monitor system and stop operation if anything suspicious occurs. Does not disinfect.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Free support is available by telephone, BBS, and CompuServe E-mail. Discounts on upgraded software are available for registered users.
SOFTWARE CONCEPTS DESIGN 594 Third Ave. New York, NY 10016 (212) 889-6431 $19 (Includes shipping and handling.)
HardDrive Overlord!
Requirements: DOS 3.0 or higher, 275K. Compatible with Windows 3.0.
Spectrum of viruses: Not applicable.
Defense: Memory-resident program detects viruses on disks and hard drives by monitoring activity and notifying the user if any problems occur that could be virus related. Authenticators validate programs to ensure that they have not been damaged by a virus. They also check a program's footprint to ensure that it matches the one on file.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone.
Comments: Site licenses available.
POP COMPUTER PRODUCTS P.O. Box 1389 Evergreen, CO 80439 (303) 674-0200 $99.95
PC/Assure 3.5
Requirements: DOS 3.0 to 4.0, 640K. Compatible with Windows 3.0.
Spectrum of viruses: Not applicable.
Defense: Memory-resident program protects files from any unauthorized changes and keeps unauthorized files from running on computer.
Network support: NetAssure is available for each workstation; NetServer is available for the file server.
Customer support: Toll-free telephone.
Comments: PC/Assure offers security features in addition to virus protection.
CENTEL FEDERAL SYSTEMs &
SERVICES
Information Security Division 11400 Commerce Park Dr. Reston, VA 22091-1506 (703) 758-7000 $399
PC-cillin 3.0
Requirements: DOS 2.1 or higher, 6K, one 25-pin parallel port.
Spectrum of viruses: Four-stage program detects and prevents all known and future viruses, quarantines viruses coming from external sources. Hardware Immunizer provides automatic boot-sector damage recovery. Supplies option to remove infected file but does not repair it. Hardware Immunizer contains 1Kb of nonvolatile EPROM memory.
Defense: Device driver and memory-resident program checks files, file allocation tables, and the system RAM. Allows a choice of three virus detection sensitivity levels, user definable virus warning messages, and automatic online scan for boot sector viruses. Contains built-in self-check.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Toll-free telephone, fax, and BBS support. Updates free for first year through BBS. At the end of first year, upgrades will cost 15 percent of the list price.
Comments: One-year warranty. Site licensing available. Fully compatible with newly developed or upgraded memory management systems, including QEMM, 386Max, and DR DOS 5.0.
TREND MICRO DEVICES 2421 W. 205th St., Ste. D-100 Torrance, CA 90501 (800) 228-5651 $139 (PC Rx, a software-only version of PC-cillin, is available for $69. Package includes discount coupon to upgrade with hardware.)
SENTRY
Requirements: DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Not applicable.
Defense: Stand-alone program creates a log file of system and compares it to the computer's current state. It displays a warning if there's a discrepancy.
Network support: No.
Customer support: Telephone.
Comments: This is shareware program.
MCAFEE ASSOCIATES 4423 Cheeney St. Santa Clara, CA 95054-0253 (408) 988-3832 $25
Vaccine Toolkit 4.0
Requirements: DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K. Compatible with Windows 3.0.
Spectrum of viruses: Scan for and detects more than 400 viruses. When a virus is detected, it offers options to delete the file, leave the file as is, or provide description of the virus for reference.
Defense: Combined memory-resident and stand-alone programs check boot sector files, executable-type files, and overlays. The software utilizes a listing of virus signatures to detect the presence of known viruses and warns user of potential virus activity through creation of executable file checksum. To avoid false alarms, the software can be "taught" which programs on the system are safe.
Network support: VacNet is similar to Vaccine Toolkit but specifically designed for networks. Retail price $99.95.
Customer support: Toll-free telephone, fax, and BBS support. Updates released approximately monthly on BBS.
Comments: Site licensing and volume. discounts available.
WORLDWIDE SOFTWARE 20 Exchange Pl., 27th Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 422-4100 $99.95
Virex-PC
Requirements: DOS 2.1 or higher, 512K. Compatible with Windows 3.0 and Novell networks.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects more than 70 viruses.
Defense: Memory-resident program repairs files damaged by the most common viruses. Once a system is disinfected, the program monitors it to prevent any other virus attacks. The program creates a signature for each file and notifies the user if any changes have been made.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Microcom offers virus upgrades on a quarterly basis. Users can subscribe for $75 or buy each update for $25. Microcom can be accessed through America Online; it also offers a free file analysis through that network.
Comments: Site-license discounts available; Virex-PC also detects any activities of the Trojan Horse program. Virex is also available for Macintosh computers.
MICROCOM 3700-B Lyckan Pkwy. Durham, NC 27707 (919) 490-1277 $129.95
Virucide 2.2
Requirements: DOS 2.11 or higher, two floppy disk drives or a hard disk drive, any monitor or printer, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects and destroys all currently known viruses as of May 1991, a total of 490 boot, file, and stealth viruses, including those that reside in memory.
Defense: Stand-alone program scans floppy, hard disk, and network drives. Restores affected files to normal whenever possible. Provides descriptions of all known viruses. Able to run unattended. Lets users add to default extensions for scanning overlays.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone and fax support. Includes an online reference file containing detailed descriptions of all known viruses. Includes the availability of upgrades (approximately quarterly) as new strains develop. If an upgrade is released within 60 days after purchase, the upgrade is free. After that it costs $12.
Comments: Site licensing available. Runs in less than a minute under most circumstances. Menu-driven format.
PARSONS TECHNOLOGY 375 Collins Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 (800) 223-6925--direct sales (800) 365-5000--dealer sales $49
Virusafe 4.02
Requirements: DOS 3.0 or higher, 512K. Compatible with Windows and DESQView.
Spectrum of viruses: Recognizes over 260 known viruses, removes over 160. Update regularly.
Defense: Memory-resident program seeks, identifies, and removes known viruses in programs. Also checks programs for virus-related changes and guards against new virus attacks.
Network support: Yes. A special feature notifies users of virus in any part of the network.
Customer support: Telephone and fax.
Comments: Site licenses are available for Virusafe. Multisafe, which gives the user control over who uses the computer, is also available for $180.
XTREE 4330 Sante Fe Rd. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 541-0604 $99
VIRUSCAN
Requirements: DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects 760 viruses as of June 20, 1991.
Defense: Stand-alone program scans all drives for known viruses. It identifies and locates the virus on the system.
Network support: NETSCAN is the network file-server version of VIRUSCAN. It checks the file server only, while individual stations require VIRUSCAN. Its price depends upon the number of units using this program.
Customer support: Telephone.
Comments: VIRUSCAN is shareware.
MCAFEE ASSOCIATES 4423 Cheeney St. Santa Clara, CA 95054-0253 (408) 988-3832 $25
Virus Checker
Requirements: IBM PC or compatible.
Spectrum of viruses: Approximately one-third of all viruses.
Defense: Stand-alone program checks disks to see if they have been infected. If it finds a virus, it will alert the user of the infection. It can only detect viruses in EXE files.
Network support: No.
Customer support: Telephone and mail.
Comments: This is a freeware program that can be backed up with Super Virus Checker for $25. Super Virus Checker uses six programs that more thoroughly detect or remove 99 percent of known viruses.
LEITHAUSER RESEARCH 4649 Van Kleeck Dr. New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 (904) 423-0705 Free
VirusCure Plus
Requirements: DOS 2.1 or higher, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects more than 500 viruses and removes more than 240.
Defense: Memory-resident program scans memory and prevents viruses from entering the system. If a virus is detected, the program will destroy it before it infects any files. It also repairs and restores damaged files.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone, BBS, 24-hour Virus Helpline. Registered users may have free upgrades for two years after purchase. Afterwards, users can buy for upgrades for $30.
Comments: Site licensing available
INTERNATIONAL MICROCOMPUTER SOFTWARE 1938 Fourth St. San Rafael, CA 94901 (800) 833-4674 $99.95
Virus Prevention Plus
Requirements: DOS 3.1 or higher, 512K.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects more than 400 viruses.
Defense: Stand-alone program prevents unauthorized use of the PC, "fingerprints" all approved programs to tell if program has changed, prevents unapproved programs from running, prevents writing to the boot and partition sectors, detects viruses, scans new and existing programs, and removes viruses.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: One hour of free telephone support. upgrades for six months after purchase.
Comments: This program uses McAfee Associates' VIRUSCAN for detection of viruses. It can also be used with McAfee's NETSCAN.
PC GUARDIAN 118 Alto St. San Rafael, CA 94901 (800) 288-8126 (415) 459-0190 -- inside CA $124.95 (With VIRUSCAN, add $25.00.)
VIRUS-PRO
Requirements: 512K.
Spectrum of viruses: Not applicable..
Defense: Stand-alone program detects any changes to installed software. It also maintains records and checks new scan files against old scan files.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone.
Comments: Corporate VIRUS-PRO assigns an identifier to each PC and also has a Baseline to compare software with the corporate standard.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY TECHNOLOGY 515 Madison Ave., Ste. 3200 New York, NY 10022 (212) 288-3101 $49.95 per copy, single-PC version. Volume discounts available. Corporate VIRUS-PRO costs between $5 and $15 per PC depending on the number of PCs using the program.
Virus Secure
Requirements: DOS 3.0 or higher, Windows 3.0, 1MB.
Spectrum of viruses: Guards against more than 300 varieties of known computer viruses as well as unknown ones, expandable to over 500 through free BBS.
Defense: Stand-alone program scans every file, selected file types, specific directories, or any combination for changes in files. Drives may be included or excluded from disk scans.
Network support: No.
Customer support: Telephone and BBS support. Updates will be available through data information networks as well as other more traditional means.
Comments: Site licensing available.
ABACUS 5370 52nd St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512 (616) 698-0330 $95
Virus Stopper 2.01
Requirements: IBM PC or compatible.
Spectrum of viruses: 99 percent of all viruses.
Defense: Memory-resident program helps prevent the spread of viruses from one disk to another. The program also prevents any damage to the system by displaying a warning to the user so that action can be taken.
Network support: No.
Customer support: Telephone and mail.
Comments: This is a shareware program.
LEITHAUSER RESEARCH 4649 Van Kleeck Dr. New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 (904) 423-0705 $10
Vi-Spy 6.0
Requirements: DOS 2.0 TO 4.0, 128K.
Spectrum of viruses: Identifies 20 known viruses.
Defense: Memory-resident program checks for known and unknown viruses by showing a map of the system's memory and checking each area for any differences that could be viruses. It also checks disks when they are first entered into the drive.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Telephone. Registered users are notified of any updated information; emergency support is available using an ASCII text file.
Comments: Site licensing available. Version 7.0 will soon be available, but the price was not known at press time.
RG SOFTWARE SYSTEMS 6900 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 630 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (602) 423-8000 $250
VSHIELD
Requirements: IBM PC or compatible, DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K.
Spectrum of viruses: Protects against 760 viruses as of June 20, 1991.
Defense: Memory-resident program scans for known viruses and then monitors all program load requests. VSHIELD prevents infected programs from being loaded and infecting the system.
Network support: It does support workstations, but not file servers.
Customer support: Telephone.
Comments: This is a shareware program.
MCAFEE ASSOCIATES 4423 Cheeney St. Santa Clara, CA 95054-0253 (408) 988-3832 $25
WATCHDOG PC Data Security
Requirements: IBM PC, PS/2, or compatibles with a hard disk drive and one floppy disk drive. DOS 2.1 or higher or IBM OS/2 1.1 Standard and 1.1 Extended required. Also compatible with Windows 3.0; 17K required for Basic Security; OK to 50K required for Maximum Security depending on EMS memory available.
Spectrum of viruses: Detects, thwarts, and reports common computer viruses.
Defense: The program (device driver in CONFIG.SYS) prevents a virus from altering or destroying any DOS system file, including the files used to boot the PC from the hard disk and the files used to operate the PC. Protects disk drives, directories, program and data files, and utilities by placing them within the security environment.
Network support: Yes.
Customer support: Toll-free telephone support. One major upgrade per year with other upgrades released when necessary. Upgrades are free with membership ($35 per year) in the maintenance program. Otherwise, upgrades are $50 each.
Comments: Site licensing available. (Virus protection is one part of overall security software that features ID and password control, multiple user permission levels, automatic file encryption, and audit trails.)
FISCHER INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS 4073 Merchantile Ave. Naples, FL 33942 (800) 237-4510 $295 (Standard retail; 1/2 card option, called WATCHDOG Armor, $445.)
Chantelle Oligschlaeger and Erin Richter worked with COMPUTE this past summer as participants in the American Society of Magazine Editors 1991 Magazine Internship Program. Chantelle is a rising senior at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Erin was recently graduated from the University of Texas in Austin. The entire staff wishes them the best of luck.