McAfee AVDCDE-AA-AA - Active Virus Defense Suite, User Manual

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Using the VirusScan application
162 McAfee VirusScan Anti-Virus Software
Why use the VirusScan application?
Maintaining a secure computing environment means scanning for viruses
regularly. Depending on the degree to which you swap floppy disks with
other users, share files over your local area network, or interact with other
computers via the Internet, scanning “regularly” could mean scanning as little
as once a month, or as often as several times a day. Other good habits to
cultivate include scanning right before you back up your data, scanning before
you install new or upgraded software, particularly software you download
from other computers, and scanning when you start or shut down your
computer each day.
Use the VShield scanner to scan your computer's memory and maintain a
constant level of vigilance between scanning operations. Under most
circumstances, this should protect your system's integrity. But good anti-virus
security measures incorporate complete, regular system scans because:
• Background scanning checks files as they execute . The VShield scanner
looks for virus code as executable files run or when you read a floppy disk,
but the VirusScan application can check for code signatures in files stored
on your hard disk. If you rarely run an infected file, the VShield scanner
might not detect the virus until it deploys its payload. The VirusScan
application, however, can detect a virus as it lies in wait for an opportunity
to run.
• Viruses are sneaky . Accidentally leaving a floppy disk in your drive as you
start your computer could load a virus into memory before the VShield
scanner, particularly if you do not have the scanner configured to scan
floppy disks. Once in memory, a virus can infect nearly any program,
including the VShield scanner.
• The VShield scanner requires time and resources . Scanning for viruses as
you run, copy or save files can delay, though very slightly, software launch
times and other tasks. Depending on your situation, this could be time you
might rather devote to important system operations. Although the impact
is very slight, you might be tempted to disable the VShield scanner if you
need every bit of available power for demanding tasks. In that case,
performing regular scan operations during idle periods can guard your
system against infection without compromising performance.
•
Good security is redundant security
. In the networked, web-centric world
in which most computer users operate today, it takes only a moment to
download a virus from a source you might not even realize you visited. If
a software conflict has disabled background scanning for that moment, or
if you have not configured background scanning to watch a vulnerable
entry point, you could end up with a virus. Regular scan operations can
often catch infections before they spread or do any harm.