By: Erik Vlietinck
Wed, March 19, 2008 - 6:51:00
Pros: Interface design, auto-update, protection against Mac and Windows viruses, real-time scanning
Contras: None

http://www.intego.com
Score:

“Viruses on Mac OS X don’t exist.” “There’s no threat from viruses, Trojans, and other malicious critters when you’re working with Leopard.” Two statements we want you to take with a grain of salt. As Mac OS X becomes more popular, the threat will become more serious. And while I am one of those people who are convinced we will never experience what Windows users have to go through, you shouldn’t solely rely on Apple to keep your system free of malicious software. Especially not if you’re using Boot Camp or one of the virtualisation products that let you run Windows on your Mac.

So, if you agree with my statements above, you will probably also agree with me a virus killing application is a useful purchase. Personally, I have experienced one virus attack, about a year ago. It was a harmless critter, but it did get in the way of my normal work, and I squashed it the moment I knew my system was infected with it. I used Intego VirusBarrier for two reasons: its interface and its behind-the-scenes concept.

Viruses Beware of Updated Virus Definitions

VirusBarrier X5 does an even better job of the interface design. I can sit here and stare for hours at the clocks and meters in front of me. They move with every email message that enters my system, because I have Real-Time scanning enabled. This feature allows me to scan my system continuously, so I don’t have to scan email messages manually. You don’t see it, don’t notice it’s there --until you start the application and look at the meters --very nicely done.

Of course, the main reason why you buy an application like VirusBarrier is not the interface, but its effective use against real threats. I must say that with the test virus package you can download from the web, I couldn’t find a weakness in VirusBarrier. But to be honest, VirusBarrier should defend against future viruses as well, and it’s very hard to test something with things that don’t yet exist.

What VirusBarrier does include, however, is protection against Windows critters, so you’re protected against both Mac and Windows malware and that’s important when you’re using Windows virtually or in Boot Camp.

Of course, there’s also NetUpdate, a service that automatically downloads new virus definitions as fast as Intego detects and releases their fingerprints.