Viruses or hype?

Are viruses really a threat to my business or is it just hype from Anti Virus vendors ?

I'm sure that Anti Virus companies are going to emphasise the threat because they want to sell you their software, but it definitely is a real threat. This week alone several of our clients have encountered a totally new virus.

We are exposed to viruses every time we connect to the internet, open an email, plug in a USB memory stick, CD or DVD. There are some very clever people who prove their skill and intelligence by infecting as many PCs as possible. There are also criminals and those with grudges who want to steal your passwords, credit card details or use your PC as an unwilling soldier in their attack against a specific web site.

Anti-virus [AV] software is a very necessary tool that should be on every PC. You need to install it and keep it up to date with regular updates as new viruses are being released every day. The good news is that most AV software packages make this easy – you buy a year's subscription, install it and forget it. The downside of AV software is that they do impact on the performance of your PC as they are checking files, internet traffic and emails as you work, and occasionally they are like the overzealous doorman and block something that is actually OK, like your scruffy brother in law who turns up on your doorstep at 1am!

If you have a network with a number of PCs you probably want to get some professional help and install a centrally managed AV solution. We use Symantec in the office on our PCs and servers and have done so for many years. We also have anti-virus capability in our Sonicwall firewall which stops nasties coming through our internet connection. Personally I also use F-Secure at home as I have a couple of PCs and a laptop and they offer a 3 PC licence deal.