SolutionBase: Setting up simple, affordable virus protection with AVG Anti-Virus Professional 7.5

by Erik "Eckel Network+, MCP+I, MCSE" | Nov 13, 2006 8:00:00 AM

Tags: Erik Eckel Network+, MCP+I, MCSE

Takeaway: Viruses are an increasing threat. To combat them, you're not limited to antivirus solutions from companies like Symantec and McAfee. Here's how you can get inexpensive but effective virus protection by using AVG Anti-Virus Professional.

This article is also available as a TechRepublic download.

Viruses have long been the bane of systems administrators and support personnel. A single virus can bring an entire network to its knees. The cleanup and recovery operations can take days.

Organizations, of course, long ago turned to multi-pronged strategies. Desktops were locked down, often preventing users from completing work-related actions. Antivirus applications were installed, but they frequently slowed system performance. Now, unified threat management appliances are being hyped as the next frontier.

Often, though, the best solutions are the simplest. Within small and many medium businesses, not too mention nonprofit organizations, deploying effective client-side protection is all that's required. The trick is to identify an effective client-side solution.

That's where Grisoft's new AVG Anti-Virus Professional 7.5 comes in. The new version delivers serious protection that's easy to administer. Best of all, it's priced affordably for most every organization. A two-year license, which includes access to new versions, updated antivirus signatures and complete technical assistance for the license's duration, retails for $38.95 (approximately the same price as charged for a single year of coverage by other antivirus manufacturers) per seat. Volume licensing opportunities lower the price even more, or licenses can be purchased for only a single year, to better enable budgeting within some organizations.

Boasting all major virus certifications, the antivirus application also leverages improved heuristics. Often, in cleaning client systems of problematic viruses and Trojans, I often find AVG identifies and removes infections other leading programs fail to locate, much less remove.

The application's control panel received a makeover, too. Developers streamlined the UI, helping make AVG one of the easiest antivirus programs to configure and maintain. In addition to providing full access protection by scanning every file that's opened, executed, saved or e-mailed, the program also automatically manages the threats it identifies, thereby eliminating the need for end users to respond to threats (with informational alert windows set to display by default).

According to Grisoft, AVG Anti-Virus Professional Edition 7.5 requires only an Intel 486 CPU with a 133 MHz clock, 30 MB of disk space and 32 MB of RAM or better to operate. The platform works on Windows client systems from Windows 98 to Windows Vista.

Those familiar with older AVG versions will find administration and configuration changed slightly in the new version 7.5. Here's a rundown of what you'll find in Grisoft's newest release.

Installation

Anyone can obtain the AVG Anti-Virus 7.5 executable file by downloading it from Grisoft's Web site. The installation file, currently avg75f_426a815.exe, measures just a hair under 32 MB.

The actual installation routine is standard: administrators must specify the setup language, accept a licensing agreement, specify a standard or custom installation, provide a user and company name and enter the license number (obtained upon completing an electronic purchase).

Setup

Once AVG Anti-Virus 7.5 is installed, the First Run Wizard appears as seen in Figure A.

Figure A

AVG's First Run Wizard helps ensure the application operates with the most current antivirus signatures.

Administrators should click the Check For Updates button to ensure the most recent antivirus signatures are loaded.

When opting to check for the latest updates, administrators are asked to specify the location of the update files. To accelerate loading updates on multiple systems, updates can be manually downloaded once to a folder, and systems can be set to obtain their updates from that folder. Or, you can elect to have systems download updates directly from Grisoft.

A dialog box tracks an update's progress, and a confirmation screen appears to confirm the updates loaded properly.

Once updates are loaded, administrators must specify whether daily scans receive low or high priority. Given high priority, systems may slow noticeably if the scans are set to complete during office hours. Specifying low priority helps minimize AVG's memory usage. In my experience, AVG's scans take a little longer to complete than some other leading antivirus programs. Thus, it's a good idea to proceed with Grisoft's default Low Priority setting, as seen in Figure B.

Figure B

AVG's First Run Wizard enables Scheduled Daily scans; to ensure systems are regularly scanned, leave the Enable Scheduled Daily Scan (Recommended) box checked.

Configuration

AVG's Security Status window, displayed within AVG's main Control Center menu, seen in Figure C, displays critical information about the antivirus application.

Figure C

Administrators can double-click any component entry to change its settings.

Users reach the Control Center (and its Security Status window) simply by double-clicking the AVG icon in Windows System Tray. The Control Center can also be reached using the Start menu.

Using the Security Status window, administrators can quickly verify whether the internal antivirus database is current. The Security Status window also reports the status of scheduled scans, whether the Resident Shield (which provides active protection from threats) is operating properly, the number of files quarantined in the Virus Vault, the Update Manager's status and more.

Clicking the Test Center button provides access to AVG's Test Center. The Test Center – Basic Interface provides simple access to common AVG Anti-Virus actions. You'll see this in Figure D

Figure D

AVG's Basic Interface simplifies accessing the antivirus application's most commonly used components.

In addition to performing a full system scan or scanning selected areas, users can opt to check for updates using AVG's Test Center – Basic Interface. Administrators can also quickly access the Control Center, Virus Vault and previous Test Results using the Basic Interface's supplied buttons.

The Test Center's Advanced Interface, (reached by clicking Program | Switch To Advanced Interface or clicking the Switch To Advanced button), provides a different, more streamlined method of accessing AVG's Test Manager, Scheduled Tasks, Test Results, Program Settings, Program Settings and other critical components, as seen in Figure E.

Figure E

AVG Anti-Virus' Advanced Interface provides more immediate access to the application's configuration settings, including test scan results.

By default, AVG Anti-Virus performs regular antivirus scans, and the program periodically checks for updates. To change the default configurations, open AVG Anti-Virus and (when working with the Advanced Interface), highlight Scheduler from within the Security Status window and click the Scheduled Tasks button. The Scheduled Tasks window appears as seen in Figure F.

Figure F

The Scheduled Tasks window provides access to test scan and update configuration changes.

Double-click the Test Plan In Basic Mode entry to change automatic test scan settings. Ensure the Periodically Start Scheduled Antivirus Test check box is selected and specify the time of day you wish for the scan to occur. You can also specify that the scan begin immediately upon a user logging on if a regularly scheduled scan is missed.

Administrators must also specify a Complete Test, in which the entire hard disk is scanned, or a User Test, in which the administrator specifies the files and folders to be scanned. You'll see the screen shown in Figure G

Figure G

The Schedule Daily Test menu enables configuring daily antivirus scans.

Double-click the Update Plan In Basic Mode entry to enable and configure regular update checks. Ensure the Periodically Check For Internet Updates box is checked, specify the time period during which you wish for the application to check for updates, and check the If Internet Connection Is Not Available, Check When It Goes On-line box if you wish for AVG to check for updates whenever a regularly scheduled update is missed.

To review detailed information about automated test scans you may well have scheduled to occur at two in the morning, open AVG's Control Center and click the Test Center button. Explode the Test Results entry, and double-click the test whose results you wish to review. You'll see something similar to the screen shown in Figure H

Figure H

AVG records information about each scheduled scan it completes.

Double-clicking an entry displays its Test Results window, seen in Figure I.

Figure I

AVG provides specific information regarding the results of regularly scheduled scans.

Besides listing the start and end time, the Test Result Details menu reveals the launch method, the scan's results and the number of files scanned.

Configure e-mail settings by opening the Control Center, highlighting the E-mail Scanner entry and clicking the Properties button, as seen in Figure J. Use the corresponding drop-down menu to specify the installed plugin to use (the most common iteration I encounter is the AVG MS Outlook extension).

Figure J

E-mail antivirus settings are configured using the E-mail Scanner window.

Click the Configure button to specify additional e-mail scanning options, including whether AVG should check incoming and outgoing mail for viruses, the subject line message that should be created when a virus is found and other settings.

A simple, effective virus scanner

AVG Anti-Virus Professional Edition 7.5 often finds and removes virus infections other programs miss. It's newly designed interface is easier to administer, the antivirus engine is strengthened, and scans and updates are scheduled by default.

There's little for administrators to do, once the application is loaded, but to sit back and occasionally check its event logs to ensure the program continues operating properly. Best of all, AVG's Anti-Virus application is reasonably priced, which IT directors will appreciate, and the application runs with little overhead or intrusion, meaning end users will find the program equally appealing.