[X-Newbies] Anti Virus Software

[Chris Walker]

On 30/9/04 Vincent Cayenne wrote: 

>I can't see that this addresses his need. The need is to comply with 
>a paranoid admin's insistence on virus protection before admittance 
>to the uni network. ........
This was my thinking at the outset.  I had thought there existed the
slight possibility of transferring viruses/worms but now accept Randy's
argument that for practical purposes that risk is insignificant.

>The need is to comply with 
>a paranoid admin's insistence on virus protection before admittance 
>to the uni network. Using an antivirus product which ignores the 
>malware of concern to the admin seems like setting up the Mac to be 
>the scapegoat whenever next there is a breach. 
Absolutely true, but at the end of the day I'm on my home machine some 20
miles away, and only connect via the VPN on days when I'm not on campus.
  So long as I produce a receipt for something that satisfies the
sysadmin, I doubt he's going to travel to make sure it's installed;-) 
PITA I know but there we are.

I think a lot of this has to do with another Uni in the same region
getting taken down for two days by Sobig or Nimda, I forget which.  This
other Uni has now been persuaded by MS to upgrade from Win 2000 to XP and
Office 2003, no doubt on the grounds that it is more secure.  I should
imagine it was an easy sell for MS, but at the same time the Uni is
laying off staff which has not gone down well.....

cheers,

Chris