Product Reviews

The recent spate of Windows-only viruses prompted a frisson of self-satisfaction among the most even-handed Mac users, but it doesn't pay to be too smug. As Mac market share and visibility increases, it's only a matter of time before virus authors turn their attention to the Mac.

Standing guard against the inevitable onslaught will be Network Associates' venerable Virex for Macintosh. Although it isn't as well known as market leader Norton AntiVirus, this latest version of the program, which adds Mac OS 9 support as well as usability enhancements, should go some way to redressing the balance.

Virex comes on a single CD and incorporates both single user and network versions, with a Virex Administrator package included to let you diagnose and repair infections anywhere on a network. The CD also doubles as a bootable system disc with versions for both PowerPC and 680x0 machines - useful if, like many users, you install anti-virus software when you suspect you're already infected.

The main Virex program, now fully drag-and-drop enabled, comprises a simple window, which controls Virex's main settings and functions. The bottom area is divided in two: the left-hand side displaying a list of available volumes, the right reserved for reporting functions. The button bar at the top provides quick access to Virex's diagnostic and repair functions as well as program preferences.

A new arrival on the button bar is eUpdate, which connects to Virex's ftp site and automatically downloads the latest definitions. (Virex comes with February's definitions, so an immediate update is advisable.) Those disappointed by the occassionally patchy upgrades to the definitions list in the past will be pleased by Virex's promptness now: the June update was available on the first day of the month.

To make virus-checking easier, the program includes the Virex control panel, which permits background anti-virus protection. You can set individual preferences for background scanning, such as selecting which type of removable devices to automatically scan, or whether to

ADVERTISEMENT

diagnose files downloaded from the Internet. Background operation is unobtrusive and takes up only a minor overhead in terms of RAM.

The other components of the Virex package are less compelling. DropScan is a simple drop-box feature that's installed on the user's desktop by default and scans files and folders dropped onto it. A further two touches of overkill are the Control Strip module, which basically gives instant access to the Virex control panel, and a Contextual menu plug-in, which scans selected files when control-clicked. At least they're optional installs.

Virex's ability to schedule diagnosis and repair functions is one area of the program that has received much-needed attention. Like Norton's AntiVirus, you can now specify multiple diagnostic, repair or updates events (previously, the program was limited to a single schedule). In terms of performance, there was a noticeable improvement - AntiVirus scans only files that have changed since the last scan, speeding up the process further.

In our testing, Virex handled several well-known Mac viruses and Trojan horses with aplomb. It should be remembered, however, that while both Virex and Norton AntiVirus can destroy Microsoft-based macro viruses, which are responsible for an increasing percentage of virus attacks, there's no facility to check for equally lethal AppleScript-based viruses and Trojans.

An attempt has been made to address future and unknown viruses like these by allowing the user to create a snapshot of a Mac volume. By comparing the current state of a disk or folder with a snapshot record, it's possible to spot a virus at work by highlighting changes to file size or code. It's a useful addition, but as perfectly normal alterations in file size can be flagged, it's of real benefit to the most scrupulously careful.

While Virex has addressed some criticisms of previous versions, there's still room for improvement. For a start, the documentation is lacking in detail - for example, it only became clear that Virex could diagnose common compression formats like Zip and BinHex archives by trial and error. There's nothing in the documentation to explain exactly what Virex can - and can't - handle. The program also still lacks the ability to isolate areas on the disk that will automatically trigger a diagnostic scan when a file or folder is added to them, a feature that has been present in Norton AntiVirus for a couple of years now.

Despite these minor quibbles, and in the sure knowledge that you'll never fully appreciate anti-virus software until you need it, Virex offers an impressive - and inexpensive - insurance policy against virus attacks.