Pest Zappers

Big ISPs Take On Antivirus Protection

Nationwide ISPs are offering virus scanning as a way to win new customers and hang on to old ones. MSN already scans e-mail messages and attachments on its servers, using software from McAfee; and the MSN client software incorporates a version of McAfee's VirusScan. EarthLink plans to introduce similar server and client virus scanning later this year, and AOL includes e-mail scanning in its client software. However, it's best to see these services as a supplement to, not a replacement for, a full antivirus scanner on your own PC.

"Layers of security are always better," says Brian Burke, IDC research manager. He sees ISPs evolving like other corporations, which have switched from relying solely on desktop antivirus products to adopting centralized, server-based utilities. "From a security standpoint this is very beneficial to consumers, especially those that don't keep their antivirus up-to-date," Burke concludes.

But don't assume that your service provider has you covered. One small-ISP owner we talked to (who prefers to remain anonymous) claims that antivirus scanning isn't worth the grief. "Processing the huge volume of mail an ISP receives is hard enough. Pile antivirus software on top of that, and you've got a lot of CPU and bandwidth requirements," he complains. His customers might welcome the protection of server-based scanning, he admits, but a bigger issue holds him back: "If they do get a virus, they now have someone to blame."