Symantec Anti-Virus (AV) User's Guide

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Symantec Anti-Virus (AV) User's Guide

This document intends to provide information in order to get the user familiarized with Symantec AV software and use it without experiencing problems. In the first section, the user can find information about how to access to the Symantec AV software interface and the general functions of the software window. In the next section, the most commonly used features like virus scan, updating virus definitions etc. are explained .

Contents

• Symantec AV access
  • "View" category
  • "Scan" category
  • "Configure" category
  • "History" category
  • "Startup Scan" category
  • "Custom Scan" category
  • "Scheduled Scan" category
• How to use Symantec Anti-Virus (AV)
  • Updating the Virus Protection
  • The Automatic Update Settings of LiveUpdate
  • Virus Scanning

Symantec AV access:

There are a number of ways to access Symantec AV software options.

• Double click the Symantec AntiVirus icon on "Taskbar".
  Note: If the anti-virus software is administered centrally, the display of this icon might be disabled by the departmental coordinator.
• Click on Start menu.
  • Programs > Symantec Client Security > Symantec AntiVirus. (Windows 9x / 2000)
  • All Programs > Symantec Client Security > Symantec AntiVirus. (Windows XP)

The window displayed is divided into two panels. The panel on the left displays the group activities in 7 categories. The panel on the right displays explanations about these categories and related topics. To view subcategories, click on "+" sign.

Figure 1-Symantec AV console

"View" category:

It is used to view anti-virüs activities.

Auto-Protect Scan Statistics:

The statistics about automatic virus scanning tasks carried out when programs are run can be found under this category.

Scheduled Scans:

This category displays information such as the title of the scheduled scans, their dates etc. It is possible to add more scans by the user or the system administrator.

Quarantine:

Displays the files that are infected by the virus and then put in quarantine.

Backup Items:

This category enables the user to view or delete the backup files created during the repairing of the infected files.

Repair Items:

This category displays the files that have been cleaned; but since they have no specific location, they are displayed in here (such as the files received by e-mail and cleaned afterwards).

Licence:

Provides information about Symantec AV liscensing.

"Scan" category:

This category is used to start virus scanning manually.

Scan a Floppy Disk:

This feature enables virus scanning of diskettes or other portable data storage mediums.

Scan Computer:

This enables the user to scan all parts of, or some of disc spaces of, or specific folders of the computer (This topic is further explained under Virus Scanning title).

"Configure" category:

This section enables the user to specify the rules of automatic virus protection.

Auto-Protect:

When the file is accessed, when it is copied, when it is saved or opened, this feature scans the file for viruses.

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"History" category:

Under this section the user can find past virus scan tasks, virus threats and their logs.

Thread History:

This feature can display the history of viruses and spy programs that affected the computer.

Scan History:

This feature can display history of past virus scans.

Event Log:

This feature can display information such as error messages, configuration amendments etc.

"Startup Scan" category:

This feature enables the user to set the computer to run virus scan when it is started.

New Startup Scan:

This feature enables the user to set the computer to scan the critical files and folders (Windows system files, the directories which contain templatesr) at startup (This topic is further explained under Virus Scanning title).

"Custom Scan" category:

In this section, the user can do the custom configurations before starting the manual scans.

New Custom Scan:

This feature enables the user to create a scan template for the directories that are scanned frequently but not periodically (This topic is further explained under Virus Scanning title).

"Scheduled Scan" category:

This feature displays the scheduled scans and enables the user to do the necessary settings.

New Scheduled Scan:

This feature enables the user to set periodical virus scan tasks (This topic is further explained under Virus Scanning title).

How to use Symantec Anti-Virus (AV):

Updating the Virus Protection

The use should regularly update Symantec AV software to maintain security against viruses. Unless the software is updated with virus definition files after its installation, continous security cannot be maintained later. Symantec company updates its virus definition files weekly. Moreover, if a new threat appears, the updating frequency of the company may increase. The updating process may be carried out by the LiveUpdate feature of the Symantec AV software. LiveUpdate feature can help the user to update virus definition files. It can also check new patches released and then install them.

One can set LiveUpdate so that it automatically runs on the pre-specified periods. One can also use it before the specified dates.

The Automatic Update Settings of LiveUpdate

When the Symantec AV software is installed, it is usually set to run automatically every Firday at 8 a.m. by default. The following steps show how to change this setting:

Figure 2-Symantec AV Update

• Select "Schedule Updates.." option under "File" menu (Figure 2).
• Click on "Schedule..." button on "Schedule Virus Definition Updates" window (Figure 3).

  

  Figure 3-Symantec AV Automatic Update

• On "Virus Definition Update Schedule" window the user can set the automatic update frequency as Daily, Weekly or Monthly respectively (Figure 4). The user should keep in mind that the computer should be open in the scheduled time for the software program to do the automatic update task. When the user clicks on "Advanced" button, the user can set in the next window how many times the system can try to start updating process agin if the scheduled update could not be done.

  

  Figure 4- Symantec AV Settings of Weekly Updating

Updating with LiveUpdate Before the Scheduled Automatic Updating Runs

When a new virus threat comes up, the user may have to update the software before the scheduled update time. In such cases, the user may follow the steps below to do the updates earlier.

• When the software is run, on the left panel of the window that is opened, click on "LiveUpdate" button (Figure 5).

  

  Figure 5 - Symantec AV Updating 1

• Click on "Next" button on the next "LiveUpdate" window displayed. If a new update file is already released, it will be downloaded automatically. At the end of the process, click on "Finish" button (Figure 6 - 7).

  

  Figure 6 - Symantec AV Updating 2

  

  Figure 7 - Symantec AV Updating 3

  Note: If, during the installation, you did not set an option that enables the operation of LiveUpdate fetaure, the update process should immediately be conducted without losing time.

Virus Scanning

Symantec AV software can do the following types of virus scanning:

• Manual Scan
• Automatic Scan
• Startup Scan
• Custom Scan

To effectively prevent the threat of viruses, one may have to use all these scanning types together. For example, while the user can set the software to conduct scan automatically on the whole system, (s)he can also set the software to run the scan at specific folders at every startup, or scan the diskette or USB Disk received from another user, or scan certain suspected files/folders ina combined way to effectively ensure the security.

These scanning types can be implemented as in the following ways:

• Manual Scan:

  With this feature, the files/discs/folders can be scanned manually whenever you wish to conduct a scan.
  • When the software is run, on the left panel of the window that is displayed, click on "Scan" and "Scan Computer" options (Figure 8).

    

    Figure 8 - Symantec AV Virus Scan

  • On the left of the same panel, the user can view the directory structure of the current computer. The folders/files, on which the user want to conduct scan, can be selected by marking the boxes located next to them according to the notation explained below. Then, the user can start scanning by clicking on "Scan" button (Figure 8-9).
    • The disc/folder/file is not selected.
    • The disc/folder/file is selected.
    • The disc/folder and all the discs/folders/files available in them are selected.
    • The disc/folder is not selected, however, minimum one folder under this disc/folder is selected.

    

    Figure 9 - Symantec AV Scanning

• Automatic Scan:

  This scanning method enables the user to scan the desired disc/folder/file with by scheduling the task beforehand and without requiring the user intervention at the scheduled time.
  • When the software is run, on the left panel of the window that is displayed, click on "Scheduled Scans" and "New Scheduled Scan" options (Figure 10).

    

    Figure 10 - Symantec AV Automatic Scan

  • On the panel right of the window, the user can designate a specific description and a name for the automatic scan that is going to be set. If this field is left blank, the software designates a new name automatically. The user should click "Next" button and continue (Figure 10).

    

    Figure 11 - Symantec AV Daily Scan

  • On the next window, the user can set the automatic update frequency as Daily, Weekly or Monthly respectively (Figure 11). The user should keep in mind that the computer should be open in the scheduled time for the software program to do the automatic update task. When the user clicks on "Advanced" button, the user can set in the next window how many times the system can try to start updating process again if the scheduled update could not be done (Figure 12). After the doing the settings, the user may continue with the "Next" button.

    

    Figure 12 - Symantec AV Virus Scan

  • On the next windows displayed, like in the steps mentioned in the manual scan section, directory/folders/files, on which the user want to conduct scan, are selected. The steps are finalized by clicking on "Save" button (Figure 13). Numerous automatic scans can be done by repeating these steps.

    

    Figure 13 - Symantec AV Creating New Scan

• Startup Scan:

  At every startup of the computer, the directory/folders/files that the user wants to scan can be scanned with this scanning method.
  • When the software is run, on the left panel of the window that is displayed, click on "Startup Scans" and "New Startup Scan" options (Figure 14).

    

    Figure 14 - Symantec AV Startup Scan

  • On the panel right of the window, the user can designate a specific description and a name for the startup scan that is going to be set. If this field is left blank, the software designates a new name automatically. The user should click "Next" button and continue (Figure 14).
  • On the next windows displayed, like in the steps mentioned in the manual scan section, directory/folders/files, on which the user want to conduct scan, are selected. The steps are finalized by clicking on "Save" button (Figure 15). By repeating these steps numerous startup scans can be specified to be conducted at the startup.

    

    Figure 15- Symantec AV Specifying the Locations to be Scanned at Startup

• Custom Scan:

  With this scanning method, the certain directories/folders/files that the user wants to scan can be specified and defined in order to scan them whenever needed by only clicking on them once.

  

  Figure 16 - Symantec AV Custom Scan

  • When the software is run, on the left panel of the window that is displayed, click on "Custom Scans" and "New Custom Scan" options (Figure 16).
  • On the panel right of the window, the user can designate a specific description and a name for the custom scan that is going to be set. If this field is left blank, the software designates a new name automatically. The user should click "Next" button and continue (Figure 16).
  • On the next windows displayed, like in the steps mentioned in the manual scan section, directory/folders/files, on which the user want to conduct scan, are selected. The steps are finalized by clicking on "Save" button (Figure 17). By repeating these steps numerous startup scans can be specified to be conducted at the startup.

    

    Figure 17- Symantec AV Custom Scan 2

  • To do the scan whenever the user needs, (s)he must select the scan defined before and double click it or the "Scan" button on the right panel should be clicked (Figure 18).

    

    Figure 18- Symantec AV Custom Scan 3