AAUG Reviews

By David Enders, AAUG Member
Reviewed 6/06

Will the day ever-come that the Mac is burdened with as many viruses as they have in the Windows environment ? Probably not, but, is one virus more than enough to feel threatened ? The answer is “Yes”

Virus protection is like insurance, you hate having to pay for it but when something happens you are glad you have it. Enter VirusBarrier x4 by Intego Software.

Installing the software is simple and you can start using it in its default configuration. Once you have tweaked the preferences to your liking you can specify which files to scan and how often. The software is accompanied by a 100+ page manual in pdf format. The manual tells the user how to install the software,requirements and how to configure it. It also provides an overview on the different types of viruses and their effect on the computer. What I like about Virus Barrier x4 is that once it is installed and running you hardly know it is there except for an icon in the menu-bar. If you are a widget fan, VirusBarrier installs three widgets for your use. Handy little guys although widgets just haven’t caught on with me overall.

After the software is installed they recommend a manual scan to check to see if there are any viruses lurking in your system. A complete scan of a hard drive can take a considerable amount of time so I chose to start it and go do some-other task and reviewed the log file for any anomalies. VirusBarrier is very flexible in allowing you to select which you wish to scan from an entire volume(s), to folders, to individual files. You can schedule the frequency of the scans for viruses, keep in mind that the software is continually running in the background scanning for viruses. If VirusBarrier is in the dock you can drag and drop files to it and they will be scanned instantly.

One type of virus that does exist is the macro virus in Microsoft Word and Excel. I frequently transfer Office documents from my Dell laptop I use at work to my Mac at home. VirusBarrier ensures I will not transfer or accept macro viruses.

The software has Secure and Unsecure Zones. Secure zones are folders that are instantly scanned whenever a file is moved in to it. Unsecure zones are not scanned. I set my configuration to make the Documents folder on my iBook as the Secure Zone.

Your outgoing and incoming emails are scanned by VirusBarrier to determine if they are infected with a virus. The key is quick discovery and eraction of any virus. Preferences can be set to notify an administrator via e-mail when a virus is discovered.

Intego bundles an application called NetUpdate. NetUpdate schedules how often the software checks for updates to keep your installed software current. There is an option to automatically download and install updates and reboot your computer. I currently have the feature enabled but I am sure to be surprised when my machine reboots on it’s own. Netupdate can add the scheduled dates to your iCal calendar for easy reference when the scans and updates will be run.

I didn’t have any viruses to test my system. In my pc life I have only had one or two viruses. It’s like the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” I do not open attachments from people I do not personally know. I do not download files from websites that cater to infected files. Common sense is a great first defense. However working in a corporate setting it only takes one person to infect our network globally. This has happened more than once and usually is because virus definitions are not up to date or the virus software is not running. So the best software in the world will not help you if it is not running.

Purchasing a copy of VirusBarrier provides you with updates for one year from installation. After that you will need to renew your subscription.

Is VirusBarrier worth the cost? I think so. I have the belief and so do other websites that OS X will become a target because Apple is touting OSX as more secure than Windows. That could a challenge to all the hackers out there and with VirusBarrier I will be ready.

System Requirements:

• Any officially-supported Mac OSX computer
• Mac OSX or Mac OSX Server, 10.2.8 or higher (Certain features only in Tiger)
• 40 MB free hard disk space
• minimum screen resolution of 800×600