Securing the Mac OS: Anti-virus protection using Norton® AntiVirus™

One of the more challenging aspects of using anti-virus software in enterprise environments is the process of keeping virus definitions up to date. Using an automated process to track the availability of new virus definition updates and notify administrators automatically removes the uncertainty in this process.

Mac OS X is known for being extremely secure, a factor that is increasingly cited as one of the driving factors behind widespread adoption of the platform. With the growing popularity of the Apple platform, IT administrators need to be ever vigilant about reduction of vulnerabilities and protection of data. A comprehensive approach to security should include an anti-virus component and a method that allows for automated updates to keep pace with the rapidly changing presence of security threats.

Administrators using the Casper Suite can integrate with a variety of
anti-virus and malware products - including Norton AntiVirus - to automate deployment and report on licensing and virus definition status. Using smart groups, administrators can be alerted about which machines require virus definition updates. Among other remediation methods, they can also initiate the LiveUpdate™ service on the fly.

Norton AntiVirus

Norton AntiVirus protects Macs from virus and malware vulnerabilities, ensuring ongoing protection to ensure that data is secure and computers remain in compliance.

Benefits to using Norton AntiVirus

• Automatically detects and removes viruses - Offers automatic protection against the latest threats with set-and-forget convenience
• Scans and cleans downloaded files and email attachments - Delivers continuous, up-to-date protection via fast updates
• Protects against attacks that target software vulnerabilities - Provides advanced protection against software and Internet vulnerabilities

Supported Anti-Virus Products

The Casper Suite integrates with and extends the functionality of numerous anti-virus products from third-party developers. With each product, we have identified the ability of the Casper Suite to integrate and extend the baseline product offering with four additional capabilities: deploy, update, activate and report.