Anti-Virus Updates for computers w/ Internet access

Discussions around the setup, operation, replacement, and disposal of clerk computers, not to include using MLS
fletch1027
New Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:48 pm
Location: Sharpsburg, GA

Anti-Virus Updates for computers w/ Internet access

#1

Post by fletch1027 »

We have recently piggy backed the stake clerks computer off of the FHC's DSL line. Wards w/ FHC's have been clamoring for the same thing.

One thing that came to mind was that whether there was a more efficient way to get NAV updates. You guys that have had broadband for a while, do you still pull down the updates off of the Symantec site or is there an auto update feature that you guys have enabled?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34383
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#2

Post by russellhltn »

I haven't checked, but I think the auto-update is already there and turned on. In fact that becomes a problem for the dial-up folks when Symantec attempts to update itself over the slow link.
User avatar
childsdj
Member
Posts: 258
Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2007 9:51 am

#3

Post by childsdj »

With high speed internet, the symantec a/v definitions should stay up to date and eliminate the need to update them quarterly. The problem is that the window with a dial up connection is too short and it can't get the definitions down in the time allotted over dial up. Once they are out of date by more than 10 days, a whole dat file update is required.

High speed computers should not have a problem with this.:)
fletch1027
New Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:48 pm
Location: Sharpsburg, GA

#4

Post by fletch1027 »

DJC wrote:With high speed internet, the symantec a/v definitions should stay up to date and eliminate the need to update them quarterly. The problem is that the window with a dial up connection is too short and it can't get the definitions down in the time allotted over dial up. Once they are out of date by more than 10 days, a whole dat file update is required.

High speed computers should not have a problem with this.:)

That's great. I wasn't sure if the NAV installed w/ Desktop was configured for auto-update since until recently, there was an assumed dial up connection... :)
User avatar
aebrown
Community Administrator
Posts: 15153
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

Symantec AV definitions not downloaded

#5

Post by aebrown »

DJC wrote:With high speed internet, the symantec a/v definitions should stay up to date and eliminate the need to update them quarterly. The problem is that the window with a dial up connection is too short and it can't get the definitions down in the time allotted over dial up. Once they are out of date by more than 10 days, a whole dat file update is required.

High speed computers should not have a problem with this.:)

I've been meaning to research this issue for some time, because I have always doubted that Symantec AV definitions were being downloaded. But I never got around to researching the issue until tonight. I finally examined it in detail, and I find no evidence that AV definitions are ever downloaded automatically. I would note that every one of the computers in our stake now has a broadband Internet connection, and what I am about to say was true when we were on dial-up and is true now that we are on broadband.

On Desktop 5.5, Symantec Antivirus is configured so that LiveUpdate is disabled. It has been disabled in such a way that there is no way (short of somehow hacking through LANDesk or Symantec AV) to turn LiveUpdate on. Now of course that doesn't mean that the Church can't turn on LiveUpdate -- of course they can, but they have not yet chosen to do so.
LiveUpdate.PNG
LiveUpdate.PNG (2.65 KiB) Viewed 1748 times

Not only is LiveUpdate turned off, but the Church also never downloads any new Antivirus definitions through any other means. I guess I can't be 100% sure of this "never" claim I am making, but every time I go to update the virus definitions, the date of the current definitions is 2-3 months in the past. At this moment, the definitions on our stake administrative computer are dated 4/6/2008. I know (because it was General Conference weekend) that that was the last date I manually updated the virus definitions. If the Church is updating the definitions, it is less often than every three months. But I really doubt that it ever happens.

I'd love to see evidence to the contrary, as it would save me the effort of going around to all the computers in the stake every three months to update AV definitions, but everything I see tells me that no automatic updates are happening; Symantec is never trying to download new definitions, and the Church is almost certainly not trying to download them either. At this point, those updates happen ONLY manually, when Stake Technology Specialists update AV definitions they have downloaded at least once every three months, as required in the Desktop 5.5 instructions.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34383
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#6

Post by russellhltn »

[quote="Alan_Brown"][/QUOTE]

That's actually quite normal for Symantec Corp Edition - at least when it's centrally managed. Live Update is simply locked out so that you are prevented from manually activating. The date proves that it has not successfully updated itself, but it's not proof that it's not chewing up bandwidth.

My work desktop (my day job - nothing to do with church) shows exactly the same thing - except mine has yesterday's date. So it's working just fine.

Now, my question is how do we get this to work automatically once the computer has broadband?
User avatar
aebrown
Community Administrator
Posts: 15153
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

#7

Post by aebrown »

RussellHltn wrote:The date proves that it has not successfully updated itself, but it's not proof that it's not chewing up bandwidth.

Why on earth would it chew up bandwidth if it's not updating anything? It's the download of the definitions that would chew up bandwidth, but it's not downloading new definitions (or if it is downloading them, it's a completely foolish implementation, since it doesn't actually install the new definitions).
jdlessley
Community Moderators
Posts: 9833
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:30 am
Location: USA, TX

#8

Post by jdlessley »

If Symantec Antivirus is not updating itself on a regular basis then it is nearly useless in protecting from attacks. In this day the need is to keep ahead of, if not at least up with, the ever growing threat environment. Waiting for a quarterly update to ensure protection is nearly laughable if it didn't cause me to cringe so much.

However, I am not so sure it is not updating on a regular basis. The software tool used is not Symantecs updater but LANDesk Manager. I know that FHC computers with LANDesk Manager update each day the computer is turned on during normal operating hours. If they are not turned on during normal operating hours for over a week then they must be updated manually through LANDesk Manager to ensure all updates are present.

Desktop 5.5 has a version of LANDesk Manager installed. I would assume it would update Symantec Antivirus just as is done in the FHC. I have not verified this yet for our single internet connected computer. It has only been two weeks on the internet connection.

After reading the posts above I will definitely check on it later today.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34383
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#9

Post by russellhltn »

jdlessley wrote:The software tool used is not Symantecs updater but LANDesk Manager. I know that FHC computers with LANDesk Manager update each day the computer is turned on during normal operating hours. If they are not turned on during normal operating hours for over a week then they must be updated manually through LANDesk Manager to ensure all updates are present.
News to me. I don't know why they'd do updates via LANDesk when Symantec is perfectly capable of doing it itself. I'll have to check our computers. I know we've shut down longer then that over the Christmas/New Year. i don't recall any problems from that.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34383
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#10

Post by russellhltn »

Alan_Brown wrote:Why on earth would it chew up bandwidth if it's not updating anything?
We can't rule out that it's mis-set so that it's not seeing your Internet connection but will still attempt to do it during a phone call. I'm not sure how big the dat file is, but the installer is currently over 30MB. It's not likely to succeed on a phone line. Nor have we ruled out other install configurations.

This requires a little more research before we can claim a busted myth.
Post Reply

Return to “Clerk Computers”