PCSIX.RVW   950911
 
                               Comparison Review
 
Company and product:
 
Company: Zen Works
Address: P. O. Box 528, Houlton, ME   04730
Contact: R. Wallace Hale
Email:   halew@nbnet.nb.ca
Other:   BBS +1-506-325-9002
Product: SIX, BRECT
 
 
Summary: system and memory change detection
 
 
Cost free for non-commercial, non-governmental use
 
Rating (1-4, 1 = poor, 4 = very good)
      "Friendliness"
            Installation      3
            Ease of use       2
            Help systems      1
      Compatibility           3
      Company
            Stability         3
            Support           2
      Documentation           2
      Hardware required       4
      Performance             2
      Availability            2
      Local Support           1
 
General Description:
 
SIX is a small and specialized change detection program designed to check
system and memory after the boot process has completed.  It will detect changes
to itself, memory and certain interrupts.  (BRECT is an advanced utility to
patch floppy diskettes in order to remove infections.)
 
 
                  Comparison of features and specifications
 
 
User Friendliness
 
Installation
 
SIX is distributed as shareware.  The program is a single small file. 
Installation could be as simple as copying the SIX.COM file to an appropriate
place on the disk and adding the program to the end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. 
SIX will take a snapshot of memory on first invocation, and check it on each
invocation thereafter.
 
Ease of use
 
SIX and BRECT are meant as simple, single purpose tools.  They require an
understanding of what you are doing, but have no complexities in operation.
 
Help systems
 
None provided.
 
Compatibility
 
SIX may report and alert if run after programs which make significant changes
to memory or interrupts.  It should be easily network compatible, but only if
used from the same station each time.
 
BRECT will write a non-bootable boot sector to floppy disks, and so will remove
the boot capability if used on bootable disks.
 
Company Stability
 
Wallace is a nice guy with interesting ideas but if he goes under a bus you can
kiss your support goodbye.  Also, if the programs mess you up (or, more likely,
you mess up), the warranty is limited to what you paid.  (See above.)
 
Company Support
 
Postal, email or BBS only.  
 
Documentation
 
The text files clearly explain the operation of the programs, but assume you
are familiar with viral operations and do not go into tutorial details.
 
System Requirements
 
Basically, anything that runs DOS.
 
Performance
 
Within the limits, good.
 
Local Support
 
None provided.
 
Support Requirements
 
SIX would be a good add-on to a supported environment.  As the author states,
it is not intended as a full antiviral package, but only as an additional,
quick level of checking.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   PCSIX.RVW   950911
 
====================== 
roberts@decus.ca   rslade@cln.etc.bc.ca   Rob.Slade@f733.n153.z1.fidonet.org
               Crossbows don't kill people, quarrels kill people
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540-94311-0