Dec 95 New Products

Researchers who study computer viruses have cataloged more than 6,000 viruses, and experts estimate that there are anywhere from three new bugs a day to 200 a month. And now Windows 95, which lacks a built-in antivirus utility, offers the critters a fertile new environment to infect.

That's the bad news. The good news is that anti-virus experts have developed new software geared toward Windows 95 and 32-bit drivers.

Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows 95 uses WinGuard and Dr. Solomon's Scheduler to battle viruses on the new operating system. WinGuard is a full 32-bit Win95 device driver that provides continuous background protection when 32-bit disk and file access are enabled. WinGuard's FindVirus technology scans all files when they are copied or executed. The Scheduler lets you launch FindVirus at specified intervals throughout the day.

The Anti-Virus Toolkit, which scans at up to 7MB per second, uses heuristic analysis to examine an executable file and determine whether its behavior indicates the presence of a virus. The Toolkit also includes Win32 Virus Encyclopedia, which gives information on viruses it detects.

$125, single user; $1,050, 10-user pack
(free upgrade if you purchased Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit after July 1).
S&S Software International
617-273-7400, fax 617-273-7474.

IBM AntiVirus makes sure a suspected virus is truly a virus before it disinfects your computer. AntiVirus won't trigger an alarm for all suspicious file activity; first it takes extra steps to verify a virus' existence. This reduces false alarms that can be as disruptive as the invaders themselves.

AntiVirus, which runs on all Windows systems including Win95 and NT, uses heuristic analysis to detect previously unidentified viruses. The software scans memory, hard disks, floppy drives and network servers for pesky bugs such as polymorphic viruses, which change to avoid detection.

AntiVirus automatically removes most viruses without damaging the infected application or data. Its DOS Shield quarantines a sick app, letting it continue to work without spreading the infection. IBM also has an enterprise edition of AntiVirus for networks.

The Activity Log records all the program's actions, and AntiVirus provides extensive virus-description documentation to help you better understand and anticipate an invasion. You can also schedule the program's virus scans at regular intervals. IBM offers Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) support by subscription, including quarterly software and electronic updates on new viruses.

$49.
IBM Corp.
800-742-2493, 914-759-4635.

Cheyenne Software has enhanced its InocuLAN/PC antivirus solution to provide protection for all files on Windows 95 workstations. InocuLAN for Windows 95 is optimized for Win95 as a 32-bit service and can be used with InocuLAN for Windows NT.

$195
Cheyenne Software
800-243-9462, 516-484-5110.

PC-cillin 95 automatically scans files as they download from the Internet and online services. Its E-scan feature checks e-mail and attached files for viruses. When PC-cillin 95 finds a virus, it analyzes the offender and updates its virus-pattern database while simultaneously cleaning the infected file by removing the virus code.

$49.95.
TouchStone Software Corp.
800-531-0450, 714-969-7746.

VirusScan 2.26 now includes Windows NT support. VirusScan detects more than 5,500 viruses and is included free to McAfee maintenance subscribers.

$65.
McAfee Associates
408-988-3832, fax 408-970-9727.