Inoculate IT - Antivirus Scanner Review

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(These "anti-malware" pages are the result of a continuing cooperative effort.)

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Anti-Virus Main Menu
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Reviewed by: Lee Higdon

Brief Summary:

This is the "freeware" version (* see below) of Computer Associates' highly regarded VET Anti-Virus software. It's written for all currently supported versions of MS Windows. It includes an on-demand scanner and an on-access monitor, both easily and highly configurable for individual needs. An auto-download feature lets you access the CAI FTP site and will determine if your DAT files are current. Any required updates will be downloaded and installed, with user concurrence. You can create a template for each local HD on your system, which IPE will check at startup to verify it matches the current boot sector. A reference disk can be made to store copies of templates in case of corruption. NOTE: One should not attempt to replace templates without sufficient knowledge of how this works.

Price: (* This is no longer freeware - Ed.)

Initial product purchase annual subscription price: $19.95 USD
Subsequent annual renewals: $9.95 USD

Pros:
  • Scans files very quickly
  • Very low impact on resources
  • Most users experience no conflicts with other software
  • VET scan engine a "VB 100" winner in 5 of the last 6 comparative tests
  • The ONLY freeware product ICSA Labs certified for both detection and cleaning
  • On-access monitor (Real-time protection) cannot be easily disabled (requires a system "reboot")
Cons:
  • Email customer support only. Usually slow to respond.
  • Heuristic scanning may not be as aggressive as other products
  • Generally, will not identify an infected email attachment, until an attempt is made to access it
  • Documentation (Help) is rather vague and incomplete
  • Emergency Disk offers minimal scanning options in DOS mode
  • Disabling the On-access monitor (Real-time protection) requires a system "reboot"
Features:
  • Real-time protection
  • Version 5.2x incorporates heuristic scanning
  • Progressive scan option at startup
  • Automatic updates
  • Easily configurable
  • Emergency disk option
Benefits:
  • Award winning CAI VET protection
  • Once configured, requires minimal user interaction

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