Solutions in this chapter:

• Introducing the Virus Definition Transport Method (VDTM)

• Introducing Symantec LiveUpdate

• Introducing Intelligent Updater

• Summary

• Solutions Fast Track

• Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Virus definition files contain unique segments, often referred to as signatures, of thousands of viruses. Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition (NAVCE) detects viruses by comparing files that are being scanned against these virus definition files. If a pattern in a file on a computer matches that of a virus definition file, NAVCE considers the file infected and attempts to rectify the situation by performing a Clean, Repair, Delete, or Quarantine operation. Consequently, if the file being scanned does not match any patterns contained in the definition files, NAVCE considers it clean.

It is therefore quite obvious that in order to protect a system, the virus definition files must always be kept current. The next step in the process is to decide how to obtain the files, how to update the client computers within a corporate environment, and how often to perform these updates. In this chapter, we will explore some of the different virus definition delivery and distribution mechanisms, their advantages and disadvantages, and their setup processes.

Before we delve into these various mechanisms, let us first understand how to determine what viruses a system is capable of detecting. In order to obtain a list of viruses, you can simply launch the NAVCE client and click File View Virus List. You can then scroll through the list (see Figure 10.1) or search for it...