New research shows using multiple concurrent anti-virus engines yields most effective protection

Analysis of the results from five independent testing organizations shows no single anti-virus engine is effective across the spectrum of formats employed by most organizations

GFI today released a white paper analyzing the results of research by five anti-virus testing laboratories. The white paper, One Virus Engine is Not Enough", shows that no single product catches a comprehensive range of email viruses and malware within a variety of compressed and uncompressed file formats. A more secure approach must employ multiple anti-virus engines to cover a broader spectrum of threats.

The five impartial anti-virus testing laboratories (ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs, Virus Bulletin, AV-Test.org, and Virus TestCenter) looked at the leading anti-virus engines -- namely, those developed by Trend Micro, Symantec (Norton), McAfee, Norman, and SOFTWIN -- for their overall virus detection rate, their ability to scan through compressed and embedded files, and their coverage of non-virus malware. Each product showed strengths in different areas, meaning that combining the capabilities of two or more products would let organizations make up for deficiencies in any single product.

Many organizations dont deploy multiple scanning engines," GFI CEO Nick Galea says, because they dont want to pay twice for two overlapping sets of tools. A more cost-effective alternative is to deploy a single product that uses multiple scanning engines for checking email content and attachments while providing email intrusion detection and defense."

GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP is the first product that provides integrated support for multiple virus engines, including McAfee VirusScan, Norman Virus Control, and SOFTWIN BitDefender. More information about GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP and a free evaluation version is available at http://www.gfi.com/mailsecurity.

The white paper One Virus Engine is Not Enough", which contains a detailed analysis of the research organizations results, can be found online at http://www.gfi.com/mailsecurity/wpmultiplevirusengines.htm.

About GFI

GFI (www.gfi.com) is a leading provider of Windows-based security and messaging software. Key products include the GFI FAXmaker fax connector for Exchange and fax server for networks; GFI MailSecurity email content/exploit checking and anti-virus software; and the GFI LANguard family of network security products. Clients include Microsoft, Telstra, Time Warner Cable, Shell Oil Lubricants, NASA, DHL, Caterpillar, BMW, the US IRS, and the USAF. GFI has six offices in the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia and Malta, and has a worldwide network of distributors. GFI is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and has won the Microsoft Fusion 2000 (GEM) Packaged Application Partner of the Year award.

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