Evaluating antivirus vendors
When it comes to finding a managed service provider, you will be best off to first choose your preferred software vendor, as MSPs will specialise in a couple of packages but not all. For example, Zento offers Trend Micro and McAfee, with some customers using both, such as Trend Micro at the gateway and McAfee on desktop. Software vendors themselves may also have a managed and professional services side of the business, as does Symantec and Network Associates.
Trend Micro doesn't provide the services itself, but partners with Zento and Telstra to deliver the managed service. Whether you are looking for just the antivirus software or for the whole managed offering, the following criteria may help you find the right partner:
- Product quality on a specific platform--eg, Windows 2000 or Lotus Notes.
- Elements to consider include how often product patches are released for that product version, as well as performance/compatibility.
- Management and distribution functionality within the antivirus solution--ie, what mechanisms are available for easy and automated updating of desktops and other systems. Also assess how the antivirus vendor makes available updates, especially in outbreak situations. For example, if the vendor provides updates only from its Web site, you may be unable to download the update because of high demand at the site. If no alternative method of obtaining an update exists, you should ask what highavailability solutions the antivirus vendor uses on its Web site and demand service levels for obtaining the update from the site in an outbreak situation.
- Research and customer support and service--eg, how quickly does the antivirus vendor typically produce an update in an emergency situation? Are alert and virus intelligence services included, as well as customer support contacts (especially in outbreak situations)? The quality of the updates will be critical if you don't have the capability to test updates. Negotiate firm service level agreements to ensure quality updates.
- Incident-response plan--name a manager as the virusalert and incident-response liaison to your antivirus vendors and solution providers, and outfit key enterprise and vendor contacts with pagers or other alert devices. Also ensure that as soon as the new update is available from the antivirus vendor, the SMTP gateway is updated immediately.
Whether you are a small business of three people or a large enterprise with 3000 people, the importance of having an effective antivirus solution in place cannot be underestimated. Without wanting to be a scaremonger, security vendors have all sorts of scary statistics on the amount and types of attacks, future threats and the cost to businesses. As the threats increase and become more complex, so too do preventative measures. It isn't enough to kill the virus when it arrives on your doorstep, now you have to make sure it doesn't even get a look in. If your business doesn't have the time to devote to finding new solutions and posting software upgrades, outsourcing may be just the answer you are looking for.
Who's out there
Following is a guide to the providers that we spoke to for this article. This list is by no means exhaustive, there are many service providers who specialise in the security space and the large outsources such as CSC and EDS will also provide security services as part of their offering. Also remember that security service providers will usually offer more than just an antivirus solution.
McAfee
McAfee, with its ASaP managed services, offers three different
packages for antivirus management. VirusScan ASaP is suitable
for any sized business and is a simple antivirus manager,
Virus-Screen is a service which scans emails for viruses and either
cleans or quarantines infected messages, and lastly, Managed
Virus Defense ASaP is the more advanced version of
VirusScan ASaP, adding protection for the file server, groupware
server, and gateway. McAfee also offers vulnerability assessment
and firewall management.
www.mcafeeb2b.com
Symantec
Symantec is on its way to being a one-stop shop for security services,
offering software, and both professional and managed services.
It provides solutions for antivirus, firewalls, intrustion detection
systems, virtual private networks, as well as vulnerability
assessments and Internet content and email filtering.
www.symantec.com.au
Trend Micro
Trend Micro is one of the leading antivirus software vendors in
Australia. It offers managed services through its partners Telstra
and Zento--see information on Zento below.
www.trendmicro.com.au
Zento
Managed security service provider Zento offers managed services
for antivirus, intrustion detection systems, and firewallsââ,¬"specialising in Trend Micro and McAfee products. Antivirus management
services start from $500 a month.
www.zento.com.au
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