A computer virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by copying itself on to other computers. Whilst some viruses are fairly beign or merely annoying, many are destructive and can lead to the destruction of data. This in itself is reason enough to implement a high quality anti-virus solution, but when coupled with the time and confusion viruses can cause, not to mention system downtime, anti-virus protection will pay for itself over and over again.

Whilst computer viruses have been around for many years, the concept of Spyware is relatively new. Spyware is a broad term, referring to software which automatically installs itself (often unknown to the user) and takes partial control of the computer's operation. Spyware can be complicated to remove, and a badly infected system can require several hours of work to restore it to a clean state.

In both cases, prevention is better than cure. We use and recommend the NOD32 anti-virus solution by Eset Software. NOD32's detection efficiency combined with 2-50 times faster hard disk scanning rate has earned the product many international prestigious awards. NOD32 is the world leader of the Virus Bulletin 100% Awards having won more awards (50) than any competing product.

An effective anti-virus solution really is essential for all computers, from desktop PCs to mission-critical servers. The NOD32 product range is extremely broad, covering all versions of Microsoft Windows (95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista) and many mail servers, including Microsoft Exchange. It also has a document scanning facility to ensure that Office documents are virus free, and it automatically checks all incoming and outgoing email to ensure you do not receive or transmit viruses via the Internet. Furthermore, it scans web browser traffic for Internet Explorer and Mozilla, ensuring your machines are not contamined with Spyware from the web. It is also important to keep your anti-virus program up to date to ensure that you are protected from the latest viruses. NOD32 is able to automatically download updates and distribute them to all computers on your network, ensuring you are always covered against the latest threats. Last but not least it can optionally add a disclaimer to your outgoing emails to state that they have been scanned and found free of viruses.

We are an authorised NOD32 reseller and as such can offer total support and license management for your anti-virus solution. We truly believe that NOD32 is without doubt the leading anti-virus product available which will protect your organisation from whatever viruses you might encounter.

In conjunction with ESET Software, we offer the following panel detailing the latest virus alerts. Please see www.virus-radar.com for more details.