NOD32 - anti-virus software review
reviewed by Newsmedianews
September 1, 2003It is easy to see why NOD32 gained awards as the best anti-virus software of 2002. It is a versatile package complete with several 'nodules' that include AMON, a memory resident file automatic scanning system that can be set to start each time the computer starts and which then works constantly in the background; IMON which monitors incoming e-mail traffic and, according to the software developers, works at the winsock level; EMON which scans for viruses in MAPI compatible mail clients, and the all important NOD32 module, which incorporates general system scanning and right click on-demand scans.
The latest version of NOD32 includes a quarantine facility to which all detected virus infiltrations are isolated and can then be deleted. The complete system is widely configurable, offering a range of automated or manual choice of actions on virus detection, all through a simple and user-friendly interface.
Fig1. On-screen view of the NOD32 control panel (left) with the system setup option highlighted, causing the centre pop-up window to activate. Clicking Setup in the setting popup window then brings up the setup window (right)Different configurations can be stored as profiles and recalled and used as necessary, meaning that different types of predetermined scans can be implemented each with their set actions.
 NOD32's scanner controls include access to the scanning targets, log, actions, profiles and setup menus |
Registered users of the software can make use of its automatic virus definition download scheduler to ensure that the latest definitions are installed and active. Definition files are a little over 1MB to download.
Unlike say the very popular 27MB Norton anti-virus software, NOD32's extensive programme is contained in a mere 5.7MB download package. The software offers a choice of installation options, from standard default to advanced fully configurable.
Once installed, little configuration is necessary other than to decide on and set the choice of actions on virus detection and types of files to scan. This choice ranges from all files to specific types, with the added option of omitting specified file extensions.Actions on detection range from no action to set an action, automatic cleansing, automatic deletion or quarantine. All operations can be logged and each module has it own log file.
NOD32 claims to have one of the smallest system "footprints" of the commercially available anti-virus programmes meaning that it takes up a minimum of system resources whilst in operation and is much harder to interfere with by hackers, though use of firewall software with any anti-virus programme is always highly recommended.
NOD32 has an exceptionally fast scan rate and can scan through 40,000 files in a few minutes.
Having used Norton software for some time, I was surprised when after installing NOD32 and running the scanner for the first time, it detected and quarantined a resident Trojan on my system that had been ignored by Norton, which still failed to report any virus even when the infected file was sent direct to the Norton scanner.
NOD32 has earned itself the reputation of detecting the most unknown viruses 'in the wild' - that is, viruses that are being transmitted across the net.On the down side, I detected some inability in the programme to remember its ‘sticky’ settings, a distinct disadvantage especially when after setting a range of actions and those actions are then restored unnoticed to default settings by the programme. This is a particular problem when the programme attempts to automatically save a profile after on-demand scan setting have been changed and the inexperienced user might find previous saved settings overwritten. The software developers should give this aspect greater attention as it mars an otherwise excellent programme.
There have also been several occasions when the programme has detected a virus but has failed to isolate it in quarantine, although on clicking on the infected file the programme then again reported the virus and successfully quarantined it. Some error message were also reported during mail download, namely that a virus was detected but an error had occurred in quarantining the file. The file was however again detected and quarantined during a system scan. This may be a bug in the programme - I could find no other apparent reason for these occasional and thankfully infrequent aberrations in performance.
All in all NOD32 is an exceptionally powerful and a competent though as yet a lesser well known anti-virus programme.
This software can be downloaded from the web site exclusively in Ireland through:
http://www.nod32.ie
and related security software can also be found at the partner site:
http://www.reflex.ie
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