RE: Symantec Corporate AntiVirus 8.0 - thoughts

[Paul Carroll <PaulC () CLC PITT EDU>]

I have a single server setup with Live Update on a very regular time
interval.  

Servers then access the LiveUpdate server for any new Updates and install
them as required. Client machines are then access/updated thorough specified
servers on a daily basis, during off-peak, and staggered intervals.  Using
this approach means machines are kept up to date with no bandwidth issues.

Just another 0.02c worth.  Hope it helps.

Paul J Carroll
Technical Manager
Computer Learning Center

-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony, Shayla [mailto:shayla () exchange cis pitt edu] 
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 7:51 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: Symantec Corporate AntiVirus 8.0 - thoughts

Most of the "managed" software packages (Norton and Trend Office Scan/Trend
Server Scan) will allow you to "push" client installs to each of the
computers on a network. 

For instance, with Trend's products - you buy a server version of the Trend
Scan software and install it on your antivirus server. Install all your
clients with the Trend Scan software. Trend Server scan will pick up all the
client systems in its "management console" allowing you to view all the
systems and thier current status (if they are infected, if they are
scanning, what version of virus defs etc...) You can also choose to push a
scan or "push" updates at any time via a scheduler program that you can set
up or click on computers individually to update. It forces the updates
immediately to the machine (assuming they are on) or immediately as they are
turned on. The user cannot cancel scans or the updates. You could force a
push and a scan all day long, every hour of the day, if you wanted to. It's
like running Windows 2000/XP task scheduler for an AV program.

Norton Corporate allows you to do something very similar. Even though it is
really more a "pull" than a "push", I've never had any problems with clients
receiving updates properly. The management console that comes with Noron
Corp also allows you to view the network of clients, thier status, and
allows you to push updates and scans on them, just like the Office Trend
packages I mentioned above.

There are other packages out there that do the same thing. If you are
running software that isn't managed - I have no clue other than "trusting"
the users to update themselves - I'd look into getting a management server
console and trying your luck that way. 


Shayla