PCVIRCID.RVW 930819
Comparison Review
Company and product:
Parsons Technology
One Parsons Drive
P. O. Box 100
Hiawatha, IA 52233-0100
USA
319-395-9626
319-395-7300
Technical Support: 319-395-7314
Fax: 319-395-9626
Orders: 800-223-6925
75300.631@compuserve.com
Virucide Plus 2.41
Summary:
Menu driven scanning and disinfecting program and TSR scanner and activity
monitor, written by McAfee Associates.
Cost US $49.00
Rating (1-4, 1 = poor, 4 = very good)
"Friendliness"
Installation
Ease of use 4
Help systems 3
Compatibility 3
Company
Stability 2
Support 3
Documentation 3
Hardware required 4
Performance 3
Availability 3
Local Support 2
General Description:
A simple and relatively inexpensive virus scanning and disinfecting program.
The menu driven interface provides a number of useful options, including
on-screen virus information. The program now includes a separate program to
add "resident" protection. Recommended for novice or intermediate users in
non-critical situations, or as "first line" defence.
Comparison of features and specifications
User Friendliness
Installation
I am glad to see that the program now ships on write protected disks, both 360K
and 720K. Installation instructions include the production of a "working
disk": another safe and helpful feature.
Installation is clear and straightforward, being simply the copying of the
program and related files to the appropriate disk or area. The INSTALL program
is now somewhat more important since the installation of the resident scanner
requires modification of the AUTOEXEC.BAT. (Note that in the test
installation, this was not completed by the INSTALL program.) Although the
manual indicates installation is to be done from drive A:, it can be performed
from any drive, and to any drive, including floppies. (One error is evident on
"floppy only" machines: the program tries to check the C: drive even when it
doesn't exist, and returns an error to the user. Another is that, regardless
of the drive you are installing to, the default for checking is C:.)
Installation takes a longer time than one might think, given the elementary
copying operation, but the installation program is clear and "well prompted".
However, if there is a problem with copying any of the files, the installation
will abort without comment and without completion.
A possible security weakness is that the installation program, while it does
run a scan, does not "know" the results of the scan. In fact, you can exit
from the virus scan without any recognition by the process. It is left to the
user to decide whether or not to "boot clean" if a virus is found.
Ease of use
Operation is easier than the manual indicates. The default settings are well
chosen, and although there are command line switches and options that can be
set on screen, they merely provide alternate avenues to the same operations.
All options are available as menu items, and the menu interface provides a
sense of being "in command" with all functions at the user's fingertips.
Prompts are clear and informative.
The "3-D windowing", although attractive, does, at times, clutter the screen
and distract from the functionality by overlaying and highlighting portions of
the menus that are not currently being used.
Configuration of the ViruCide Shield program may be difficult for novice users.
This is no really a fault of the program, but a limitation of the knowledge
necessary to understand the protections being applied to the system.
Help systems
The F1 key now provides onscreen help in many areas. One decided advantage is
the "Virus Info" window, which provides a list of viri, and will bring up two
or three paragraphs of information on selected viri. While useful to a novice
or intermediate user, this function does not require extensive disk space, as
it is simply a "boilerplate" expansion of the McAfee VIRINFO.TXT table which is
supplied with the disk. (Indeed, do not make the mistake of deleting this file
under the impression that it serves no purpose.)
Compatibility
Virucide will detect all of the most common viri, and is roughly "level" in
that regard to most commercial products, although it lags behind such scanners
as SCAN and FPROT. Given the association between Virucide and McAfee
Associates, this is rather odd. (Version 2.41 of Virucide is dated May 7,
1992, but the copyright date on the VIRINFO.TXT file is 1989.) However, a
"current" version of Virucide should prove effective against better than 99% of
viri encountered.
Company Stability
Parson's Technology is a mid sized software distribution house, with a very
wide selection of products. McAfee Associates, however, have indicated that
license for this product may be dropped.
Company Support
Of the first group of commercial vendors contacted, Virucide was the first
product actually received for review. Having received the May 1990 version in
December, I received the January 1991 version in mid February as a "free
upgrade". I have seen numerous references by users of other Parsons' products
to superior customer service. The documentation states that questions
submitted through Compuserve or GEnie will be answered within one business day.
I tested this out via an Internet message to Compuserve, and, unfortunately, it
doesn't live up to billing.
Documentation
The documentation is clear and concise, but at times makes the product appear
to be more difficult to use than is actually the case. Chapter one is now a
short and simple, but reasonably accurate overview of viral operations. It
tends to be a bit alarmist, but this is a fairly common failing with antiviral
documentation.
Of greater concern is the fact that the README file on disk is an executable
program. While this may ease the use, it is a somewhat insecure practice. The
README program is run by default during the installation process.
Hardware Requirements
No special hardware required.
Performance
As above, Virucide has no particular strengths, or weaknesses, in speed of
operation or numbers of viri detected.
Local Support
Parsons Technology has accounts on both Compuserve and GEnie, and the
documentation is even aware of the fact that Compuserve can be reached from the
Internet. To the best of my recollection, Parsons do not participate in the
GEnie virus and security roundtable.
Support Requirements
For general installation and operation, Virucide should not need any support.
The novice user should be able to use the system as is, and the intermediate
user will be able to make better use of the options available.
General Notes
The only advantage that the advanced user will find in Virucide is the "Virus
Info" window as a "ready reference". However, as a "quick check" for novice or
intermediate users, the product deserves consideration.
copyright Robert M. Slade 1991, 1993 PCVIRCID.RVW 930819
======================
roberts@decus.ca rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@vanisl.decus.ca
Why did the chicken cross the Moebius Strip? To get to the other.. um.. er..
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94663-2 (800-SPRINGER)