With as many as 100 new malware threats being recognised every single day, choosing the right antivirus software has never been more important.

A recent update at one of our client’s sites indicated that not all antivirus software is “created equal”. They had a well known software system installed, but when they switched to our recommended package, they immediately received dozens of new infection warnings that had not been picked-up by their current system.

So what should you look for when selecting antivirus software?

Here’s a list of the key features you should be considering:

• Real time scanning that monitors network data coming into the system and picks up malware.
• Scanning files as they are opened or accessed.
• On demand scanning so you can run a scan when you wish to.
• Heuristic scanning that uses the accumulated data of known malware to predict future threats.
• Scanning of zipped or compressed files that can be used to hide malware.
• Monitoring of script languages used on websites such as Java and ActiveX.
• Email and webmail scanning for malicious scripts and attachments.
• Scanning of more recent messaging platforms such as Instant Messenger for malicious attachments.
• Automatic software updates to ensure that your system is never out of date.
• Automatic virus updates that ensure not just your software but the virus database it uses is updated.

IGC can help you through the jargon maze if you are struggling with theses terms and would be happy to offer advice on upgrading your current system. Please give us a call.