Do I need Anti Virus software on SBS if Desktops already have it?

B

bobk

I've got approximately 50 desktops and have just installed SBS 2003. The
Exchange server is replacing a Linux box. All the desktop PC have McAfee
VirusScan running on them. We've been happy with that. How important is it
to buy Antivirus software for our new Exchange server (SBS)?
 
D

Diane Poremsky [MVP]

I would use SMTP/exchange av software (along with antispam) - you want to
get the viruses out of the email stream before they get close to mailboxes.
If you have a spare box (can be on the low end), a SMTP scanner on the
gateway would be better than more software installed on the SBS box and it
drops the viruses before they are put into exchange.
 
L

Leythos

I've got approximately 50 desktops and have just installed SBS 2003.
The Exchange server is replacing a Linux box. All the desktop PC have
McAfee VirusScan running on them. We've been happy with that. How
important is it to buy Antivirus software for our new Exchange server
(SBS)?
Click to expand...

AV software that is Server aware is absolutely needed for all Windows
servers that have any exposure (direct or indirect) to the Internet or
users.

In your case, you're doing SBS, we do Server Std and then Exchange Std,
and then add in Symantec AV Corporate Edition and then Symantec Mail
Security 4.6 for Exchange Server. This combination removes malicious
attachments, viruses, does spam filtering, rejects based on RBL lookups,
and also allows for rejection/marking of messages that contain key words
or white/black lists that you create.

As for McAfee, I would not install it on any clients systems if they paid
me double to do it.

With the server version of Symantec AV you can PUSH the av client out to
each desktop and even manage all their settings from your server, not to
mention the fact that the Symantec Client AV software does Exchange, SMTP,
POP, and Novel av filtering.
 
L

Leythos

So does AVG Anti-virus at a fraction of the price of Symantec......
Click to expand...

Not even close - AVG can't be installed on the server unless you purchase
a server version from them, and it's not that much cheaper.

Version 6 could be installed on a server, but version 7 can't. You should
also know that AVG, the low end product, does not scan before the messages
reach the exchange store.
 
L

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]

bobk said:
I've got approximately 50 desktops and have just installed SBS 2003.
The Exchange server is replacing a Linux box. All the desktop PC
have McAfee VirusScan running on them. We've been happy with that.
How important is it to buy Antivirus software for our new Exchange
server (SBS)?
Click to expand...

Yes, absolutely. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. All mail needs to be
scanned before it even hits the mailbox - and you should practice severe
attachment blocking.

Look at Trend Micro (ScanMail) or Sybari Antigen for excellent Exchange AV
products. Avoid Groupshield at all costs....

I also abhor McAfee on the desktop, myself, so if you aren't running a
recent version/corporate version for centralized admin, look into Trend's
Client/Server/Messaging Suite for SMB - it's about $16 USD per user.
 
C

cj

Can you provide specific setup procedures for NAV on an SBS box, do I
install the server or client NAV and how do setup it to handle Exchange, SQL
and Sharepoint. The SBS box is isolated so only local email, just want to
make sure it get scanned.
 
L

Leythos

Can you provide specific setup procedures for NAV on an SBS box, do I
install the server or client NAV and how do setup it to handle Exchange,
SQL and Sharepoint. The SBS box is isolated so only local email, just
want to make sure it get scanned.
Click to expand...

To be specific, Symantec has a number of articles on their site for
installing Symantec AV 9.0 (never install NAV, it's not a server based
solution) on servers (including version 7 on through 9).

With Exchange, you need to exclude certain file extensions and a temp
folder or ALL attachments will be seen as malicious and stripped out.

With SQL, you don't want it to scan the DATA or LOG files.

Share point - no idea, I don't use it.

Symantec AV is just one part of the solution, you also need Symantec Mail
Security for Exchange Server, version 4.6 - a separate product from the AV
product.

I stared by getting the server in perfect order, then installing Symantec
AV Corp 9.0, then installing SMS 4.6, getting the rules setup properly,
then setting up the excludes.

For Symantec you install the Antivirus - select Server - complete, then
Administration, Security Console, open console, make server the Primary
server, now, configure all Client and Server options for AV, then use the
NT Rollout option to install the managed client on each of the
workstations.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I really like SMS 4.6 on
stand alone Exchange servers. We have it running on 30 Exchange servers
and have not found any problems with it.
 
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