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- *** The following information is provided to describe ***
- *** the options available and the terms used ***
-
-
- DETECTION & DISINFECTION
- ------------------------
-
- The panel on the bottom right of the screen is provided to list up
- to six anti-virals scanners and also to identify those that offer a
- disinfection option, where feasible.
-
- Each anti-viral earns a check mark if it can detect some but not
- necessarily all of the strains on the record and it earns two check
- marks if it can also offer disinfection.
-
- Tests show that no one scanner can be relied upon to find every
- strain of every virus listed, particularly as new 'hacks' keep
- appearing which have been specifically targeted at one or more of
- the scanners. Similarly, disinfection is not always feasible even
- after successful detection, possibly because the virus or its target
- has not behaved predictably or because a positive identification has
- not been made. In case of doubt check with the supplier.
-
- No scanner can positively detect a totally new virus except as a
- matter of chance but some perform better than others at picking out
- 'unknown' boot sectors on diskettes and some also provide generic
- disinfection on diskette boot sectors.
-
- Variants of already known viruses can often be identified as a
- 'possible' infection if 2 or 3 judiciously chosen scanners are used.
-
- False alarms are on the increase reflecting the growth in the number
- of viruses that are now known. Consequential action to a false alarm
- can sometimes cause more damage than the virus concerned.
-
- Attempts to disinfect systems that have, or are suspected of having,
- viruses can also cause more damage than the virus concerned.
-
- Positive identification of a virus is a pre-requisite to determining
- the appropriate remedial actions needed.
-
- Some files get infected by more than one virus or more than once by
- the same virus. When disinfecting, have you cleared out all the
- layers? And are there any viruses lurking in archived files, out of
- sight of the scanners?
-
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