Here are our current recommendations for virus-related tools. Such tools can
be divided into three classes: those that prevent infections, those that warn
you when an infection is present, and those that remove infection. This
message only discusses non-commercial software.


1. Prevention

   Two excellent tools for prevention of viral infections are the Disinfectant
extension (distributed as part of the Disinfectant application) and
the Gatekeeper package.

   The Disinfectant extension is very easy to install and requires no
user configuration. However, it is important to stay up-to-date with this
tool, because it only recognizes viruses it has been taught about.

   Gatekeeper is an effective virus-prevention method for the more
technically inclined. It requires some customization to work well in a
particular environment. The benefit of Gatekeeper is that it provides
some protection against some possible kinds of future virus, not just
those that are known today.

2. Detection

   The most complete and reliable tool is Disinfectant, combined with the
Disinfectant extension.

3. Removal

   There is no question here: Disinfectant is the big winner. It can handle
many situations that even commercial programs such as Virex cannot,
such as files with multiple infections.


The Info-Mac Moderators
info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu