Labs

Corporate anti-virus software

Network Associates McAfee Active Virus Defence [PC Pro]
COMPANY: McAfee	PRICE: �74.59for 10 users each; 100 users, �49.89 each (all prices exc VAT)
RATING:	ISSUE: 100 DATE: Dec 02

Verdict: A wide range of tough security features that includes firewall protection, but muddled documentation and awkward installation and management procedures won't impress.

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It's one of the most comprehensive security products on review, but Active Client Security Suite proved difficult to install and manage. Nine separate manuals and no overview of how they interact with each other doesn't get things off to a good start. Also, the fact that the ePolicy Orchestrator central management software is supplied on a disk for managing thin clients is confusing.

The management software comprises a server and console, and all systems to be included need a small agent utility installed locally. Groups organise your network into manageable chunks and the agent and anti-virus software may be deployed at the group level or to individual systems.

With the agent in place, you can monitor each system from the console, view basic hardware details, deploy other software packages

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and enforce anti-virus policies. The main interface is similar to Symantec's, but doesn't offer the same tight integration with each managed product. You can't initiate an immediate manual scan of single or multiple clients with a few mouse clicks.

WebShield and VirusScan provide server and workstation protection respectively and offer a similar level of tools to the real-time scanner provided in McAfee's well-respected desktop product. For workstations, there are options for system, email and download scanning, and you can also block access to lists of website URLs and IP addresses. Prior to deployment, you browse through a list of these features and decide which ones to allow the client to access. Unfortunately, automating download and deployment of signature updates proved awkward to configure - this should be far better documented, considering the software supplied for review was nine months out of date and desperately needed updates.

Alert Manager takes some beating, as it offers an extensive range of tools for sending warnings to a wide variety of destinations. This software suite is the most expensive on review, but, in time-honoured fashion, McAfee can't resist bundling in extra products. You get VirusScan for handheld devices, ThreatScan for identifying security loopholes and a complete desktop firewall solution that can also be managed centrally from the same console.