Let a Managed IT Services Company Help You to Decide which Anti-Virus Software Is the Best for You

When it comes to anti-virus software, there is no one better to help you to identify the best software than a managed IT services company. There are plenty of anti-virus programs out there, all claiming to be infallible, but making it really hard for ordinary people to verify that and make the right choice.

However, if you consult a managed IT services company, such as Dolomite Technology, their employees will explain to you what benefits anti-virus software brings and what your priorities should be, helping you to asses which your best option is.

An anti-virus is not a luxury, but a must, as it will prevent, detect and quarantine, delete or block viruses, as well as other computer malware, such as adware, Trojans, worms, spyware, etc.

Although installing and using an anti-virus program is not so difficult, the reasons why you need to contract a managed IT services company go from learning how to pick the right program, to making the right settings depending on the purpose with which the computer is used, what you need from it and what you want to protect, among others.

Furthermore, a specialist can always employ a better and more complex anti-virus system in order to detect the malware on your computer, as many of these infestations are slicker and escape a non-expert.

Another problem about running anti-virus software, especially if you are an inexperienced user, is that you will most likely not understand the language employed, so will not know what decisions to make when the program asks for your confirmation or action. This could lead to deleting important files, which, although infested, are still very much required by your computer in order to run normally.

You therefore need to rely on experts with a vast experience in using anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware solutions. At Dolomite, our professionals have a wide experience in dealing with issues like installing anti-virus software, running a scan and deciding how to get rid of a virus without losing precious information from your computer.

At Dolomite, we listen to your questions and requests, we evaluate all the information you give us and we offer professional solutions, so that you never again have to worry about the safety and integrity of your system. With our managed IT services, you can forget all about viruses and their harmful actions!

What Is a Computer Virus and How to Protect Yourself Against It with Managed IT Services

Computer viruses come in all shapes and forms, and they pose a permanent threat to your software, your files, even your hardware – a threat efficiently eliminated by Managed IT Services by providing permanently updated anti-virus solutions for your system.

Computer viruses are extremely varied. They do not behave the same way, they do not replicate or harm your computer the same way. Here are the most frequently encountered types:

  • Trojans – these programs look like useful, legitimate tools that perform a certain function on your computer, but, once installed, they can damage your computer by ruining or deleting certain files, and they compromise the security of your system by providing another computer access to your contents.
  • Worms – this virus subclass spreads through your system by replicating itself infinitely. Worms can send themselves through email systems without human aid, burdening your system so much that servers and individual computers may not be able to handle the surge of data and stop responding.
  • Macro viruses – they use the macro language of certain applications to spread themselves, and they usually infect spreadsheets and text documents.
  • Time bombs – these viruses are programmed to set off at a specific time, or their “explosion” is triggered by a certain pre-programmed event, like the person who created them gets fired.

Managed IT services can protect your computers against all these malicious attacks. These services take over the security management of your computer system and they provide permanent monitoring, virus scanning and instant response to attempted virus attacks. Managed anti-virus services perform scans and clean-ups through software installed on the computers licensed; outsourcing virus protection by turning to a service of this type also means that you will not need servers or expensive software of your own to scan your system, allowing you to reduce both capital costs and overhead expenses.

Managed IT services are not free, but the fees paid are insignificant compared to the costs of replacing the software and hardware damaged on the event of a virus attack, not to mention the costs caused by data loss and IT downtime.

If you are looking for a reliable, reputable provider of managed IT services, Dolomite is one of the best possible choices: their managed IT services are not only reasonably priced, but also comprehensive, using the latest technology to provide 24/7 system monitoring, with state-of-the-art virus protection included into many of their business packages, free of charge.

The Fortinet Antivirus – Safe Navigation at All Levels

The Worst Enemies of Nowadays Businesses – Malware Infections

Servers, networks and endpoints are constantly threatened by malware infections and their protection or cleaning costs more and more companies, from government agencies to manufacturers and service providers huge amounts of money. Leaving the financial implications aside, when problems occur, solving them takes valuable time, that could be used for more productive purposes, not to mention that, on most occasions, the process leads to the loss of important data.

The information that is not lost could always leak and be used by your competitors or third parties, and that can be very serious, especially if we are talking about bank accounts or new products designs. To top all these, there are some powerful viruses out there, capable of taking down entire networks and of deleting valuable information from databases and servers.

Excellent Performance

The Antivirus technology developed by Fortinet uses the latest viruses signatures and the highest performing detection engines in order to ensure real time protection on several layers, against old, common, new and rare malware, from viruses to spyware, worms and not only, no matter if they threaten the safety of websites, email systems or file transfer means.

The performance of the Fortinet Antivirus is ensured by the FortiASIC™ Content Processors, a significant part of the FortiWiFI and FortiGate, two important Fortinet products, responsible for accelerating the process of scanning signatures and that of detecting heuristics or anomalies of any kind. The performances delivered make this antivirus perfect for protecting any assets, from entry-level appliances to data center platforms and several gigabits core networks.

Flow-Based Inspection

The security platforms of Fortigate include three antivirus databases that are proxy-based and a flow-based antivirus option. The latter allows the scanning of files of any format or size, without compromising on performance. The inspection option, flow-based, makes possible the scanning of compressed files, all with the purpose of detecting hidden threats. You have the freedom to choose any antivirus engine, but your choice influences the balance between performance and security, so it has to be made responsibly.

Complete Protection against Malware

The common protocols in the tunneling field can benefit from the encryption/decryption performances like L2TP, PPTP, SSL, IPSec and host integrity on-demand verification, allowing the inspection of the encrypted content, like the traffic sent through VPN connections.

Fortinet, through its antivirus, supports SMTP, IMAP, POP3, HTTP, P2P, IM and FTP content inspection, even in compressed files.  In order to provide protection to endpoint devices as well, the FortiClient™ security agents extend their action over remote desktop computers, smartphones and laptops, even if they operate outside the network perimeter.

Fortinet FortiGuard Services

The Fortinet antivirus is regularly activated through the FortiGuard Services. The FortiGuard team in charge of threat research came up with competitive, last hour updates for the antivirus signatures and with easy to implement protection measures against any threats identified at the content level.

To conclude, Fortinet Antivirus is the service that can make the difference between highly performing websites and servers and activity blockages or unnecessary investments.

About Dolomite

Dolomite Technology is a Managed Service Provider that provides services and consulting on technology services to customers across the nation. A core concept of of Dolomite’s service portfolio is security services. To learn more about Dolomite services please contact us. We are more than happy to discuss Fortinet or other security services.

An Insight on FortiOS 5

FortiOS 5 is an advanced Firewall Security System providing three times “MORE”: security, control and intelligence. Designed to fight the latest threats the firewall has to face, it is an on-device heuristic engine based on the behavior analysis of each network’s client device. The information provided is specific, enabling the identification of systems that are compromised or subject to latent attacks.

The AV cloud-based services that FortiOS provides come with a sandbox for operating systems and with a database for botnet IP search. The AV database signatures are recommended by a superior industry, making the firewall’s latest malware search unbeatable.

Build as a top-class operating system, the 5th generation’s target is to completely secure devices, providing last-minute performance and protection. Its cooperating services are meant to see attacks before they happen and to improve the mitigation and visibility of the latest threats.

The FortiASIC incorporated processors increase the FortiOS 5’s performance, accelerating the hardware’s response for the multi-threat low-latency security. It is known that this firewall’s protection and performance is unmatched.

Furthermore, the Security Firewall reduces the costs with protection and the workloads of the IT staff. While underplaying the challenges of configuration and development and choosing new virtual or physical appliances for FortiGate, the system enforces a unique policy of security in order to match the environment and simplify the entire process.

Some of the specific features of the FortiOS products are:

  • the Analysis of the Client Reputation;
  • the incorporated sandbox;
  • the personalized policies for the security of each device;
  • the inspection of the traffic encrypted with SSL;
  • the prevention of data loss (DLP);
  • the web filtering;
  • the control of the network’s endpoint access (NAC);
  • management from a central device;
  • higher availability;
  • numerous updates;
  • secure access for the guest account,
  • antivirus;
  • antispam;
  • management of the vulnerability;
  • optimization of WAN;
  • security for VoIP and virtual domains.

With over 150 features added, the new FortiOS 5 is the solution all enterprises can adopt in order to be well equipped and to defeat the latest threats, to protect their network against the large amount of potentially harmful applications.

Thanks to its three “MORE” ingredients, the firewall offers higher security and defeats more threats. The feature analyzing the client’s reputation provides specific information on any device that can contribute to the system’s defeat. It also has more control over any BYOD environment and mobile device, having specific security and accessing profiles based on device type, group, usage or location.

Last but not least, the FortiOS 5 is more intelligent, applying automatic policy acceptance based on role for guests or users following the location point, the data or the profile of the application. Enhanced analysis and reports provide another intelligent feature, allowing the network’s administrator to closely inspect every user, device, application or threat.

Announced along with three other features, FortiAnalyzer 5.0, FortiClient 5.0 and FortiManager 5.0, FortiOS 5 addresses enterprises searching for a high management solution for their network infrastructure and devices, avoiding threats, breaches, dead-points, all without considerable efforts and without a large amount of time spent.

For more information on how you can get Fortinet Products or Services, please call Dolomite Technology toll-free at 1-855-365-6648.

Тhе Sophistication іn Malware

Malware writers tend tо write fоr systems thаt аrе thе mоstlу wіdеlу usеd. Malware writers rесеntlу began adopting thеsе methods оn а large scale tо help lure users tо open messages аnd click оn attachments. That’s whу thе malware terminology hаs evolved frоm basic Trojans, virus аnd spywares tо crimewares, krugueware аnd sо оn

Malware Threats
The main concept оf scanners іs tо protect а system bу catching malwares wіth signature database: thеу block оnlу whаt thеу knоw. Ноwеvеr, experts іn safety estimate thаt thе authors оf malwares constantly accentuate thеіr efforts tо encrust thеmsеlvеs іn thе mobile peripherals. Malware threats аrе bесоmіng mоrе аnd mоrе sophisticated. Аnоthеr worrying trend іs thаt mаnу оf thеsе spy malwares аlsо include multiple destructive capabilities. Installing аnd updating antivirus software whісh monitors communications аnd prevents unauthorized programs frоm bеіng run remains thе best form оf protection аgаіnst malwares.

The limits оf signature database file protection аrе evident:

  • Anу programmer саn create hіs оwn malware fоr hіs оwn goal: thе lеss hіs tool іs noisy, thе mоrе hе hаs chance оf success. Ѕіnсе а malware іs nоt discovered іn thе wild, аnd reported оr submitted, іt саn stіll be unknown fоr а long time.
  • Antivirus іs mоstlу designed tо combat malwares, аnd nоt attacks.
  • Evеn thе mоst exhaustive malwares databases саn’t tаkе thе census оf АLL аvаіlаblе threats.

Also, prior tо Vista, thе vаrіоus Windows versions wеrе pretty muсh wide open, full access, making іt rеlаtіvеlу easy fоr malware tо abuse a system. Іf уоu usе а webcam fоr online chatting, уоur computer mау bе аt risk frоm а nеw strain оf computer malware thаt gіvеs hackers control оf уоur webcam, enabling thеm tо turn іt оn, capture video аnd send іt bасk асrоss thе Internet. Mark Sinclair, Trend Micro technical services manager sауs, “Malware thаt allows hackers tо peep thrоugh webcams аrе stealthy programs, nоt easily detected bу thе average user”.

If а notebook wіth аn internal webcam іs infected wіth оnе оf thеsе malwares, sоmеоnе mау bе spying оn уоu thе nехt time уоu turn оn уоur computer. Іn addition tо malware thаt tаkе control оf webcams, TrendLabs hаs аlsо rесеntlу detected software thаt tаkеs screen shots оf whаtеvеr programs аrе running оn а computer. Аnоthеr worrying trend іs thаt mаnу оf thеsе spy malwares аlsо include multiple destructive capabilities.

Installing аnd updating antivirus software whісh monitors communications аnd prevents unauthorized programs frоm bеіng run remains thе best form оf protection аgаіnst infection. Dolomite would also recommend regular audits and continues updates of your computer system.

If you have any questions regarding problems with your computer, please let us know. Dolomite – Your Technology Source.