Can I dispense with anti-virus and anti-adware?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Billy Smith
  • Start date Start date
B

Billy Smith

I do the maintenance for three computers and LAN for a small business.
My employer wants to eliminate web and email functions on one of the
machines (constant failures and error messages, too much trouble &
expense). It is running Win XP Pro with current updates, with a
ZoneAlarm firewall and Norton Anti-virus.

He wants me to disable web and email access to Internet (and disable
anti-virus and anti-adware apps) but leave other Internet access intact.
It would look like this:

1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm, use only Windows XP Firewall.
2. Uninstall all web browsers and email applications.
3. Disable/uninstall anti-virus and anti-adware.
4. Maintain all functions dependent on Internet, e.g. perform WinXP
updates and application updates.
5. Allow remote login via GoToMyPC.

I think the crux of the change is having no anti-virus and no anti-adware
because there would be no web or email activity.

I realize that there may be some inconvenience involved with not having
web access, e.g. application or OS updates sometimes try to put up a
web browser with an instruction page. We would have ready access to
web on other nearby machines.

My question: Will this work? Any problems with this?

Thanks in advance.
 
Aside from any security issues, it's my understanding that both Windows
Update and GotoMyPC require a web browser. Windows Update, in fact, requires
Internet Explorer
 
Billy said:
I do the maintenance for three computers and LAN for a small business.
My employer wants to eliminate web and email functions on one of the
machines (constant failures and error messages, too much trouble &
expense). It is running Win XP Pro with current updates, with a
ZoneAlarm firewall and Norton Anti-virus.

He wants me to disable web and email access to Internet (and disable
anti-virus and anti-adware apps) but leave other Internet access intact.
It would look like this:

1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm, use only Windows XP Firewall.
2. Uninstall all web browsers and email applications.
3. Disable/uninstall anti-virus and anti-adware.
4. Maintain all functions dependent on Internet, e.g. perform WinXP
updates and application updates.
5. Allow remote login via GoToMyPC.

I think the crux of the change is having no anti-virus and no anti-adware
because there would be no web or email activity.

I realize that there may be some inconvenience involved with not having
web access, e.g. application or OS updates sometimes try to put up a
web browser with an instruction page. We would have ready access to
web on other nearby machines.

My question: Will this work? Any problems with this?
Click to expand...

Before anything else, I'd remove NAV. It's been known to cause a plethora of
problems (i.e., conflicts), not to mention that it's a real resource hog.

The downside to XP's firewall is that it only monitors incoming communication.

Notan
 
1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm, use only Windows XP Firewall.
2. Uninstall all web browsers and email applications.
3. Disable/uninstall anti-virus and anti-adware.
4. Maintain all functions dependent on Internet, e.g. perform WinXP
updates and application updates.
5. Allow remote login via GoToMyPC.

I think the crux of the change is having no anti-virus and no anti-adware
because there would be no web or email activity.
Click to expand...

viruses spread via File Shares and other methods that don't require Web
or email access. Only a fool would setup a workstation running Windows
on a network that has exposed systems and then not install AV software.
 
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