{"id":21448,"date":"2012-12-04T19:01:49","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T00:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbachnet.wwwmi3-ss40.a2hosted.com\/index.php\/"},"modified":"2022-08-26T15:33:07","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T19:33:07","slug":"is-cloud-based-anti-virus-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/index.php\/is-cloud-based-anti-virus-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Cloud-Based Anti-Virus Ready?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Is<\/a>Cloud computing<\/strong> technology is one of the most disruptive technologies<\/strong> in recent history. Xath Cruz<\/a> at CloudTimes<\/a><\/em> argues in a recent article that cloud computing is also disrupting security software<\/strong> such as anti-virus and he asks how effective are cloud-based anti-viruses<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

\"malware\"<\/a>The article, How Effective are Cloud-Based Anti-Viruses?<\/a> claims the demand for cloud-based anti-virus software has gone up steadily as more cloud-dependent computing devices have invaded the market. Cloud-dependent computing devices like iPads<\/a>, Nooks<\/a>, iPhones<\/a>, and Galaxy’s<\/a> are as susceptible to malware as their big desktop brethren.<\/p>\n

In order to fight the malware threats to cloud-dependent computing devices, cloud-based anti-virus has evolved.\u00a0 Cloud based<\/a> anti-virus works differently than popular cloud-based document editors like Google Docs<\/a>, where you only need a web browser and internet access. The blog post explains that cloud-based anti-virus software can\u2019t function if it\u2019s only in the cloud, since your PC won\u2019t easily give the right kind of administrative access needed by antivirus software to programs hosted remotely, as that would leave your PC at risk of being intruded upon by other programs.<\/p>\n

\"smallIn order to protect a PC, tablet, or smartphone, a cloud-based anti-virus software requires a small native app to run on the device. When downloaded, the app acts as the anti-virus, with its database and heuristics data being hosted on the cloud. There is also cloud-based anti-virus software that use web browser extensions or Active X and Java to gain proper access to your PC.<\/p>\n

Like any technology, cloud-based antivirus software has specific pros and cons when compared to native anti-virus suites, Mr. Cruz lays out some of the pros and cons of cloud-based anti-virus:<\/p>\n

Cloud advantages<\/h3>\n

\"cloud<\/a>1. No Installation Required \u2013 The first advantage of cloud-based anti-virus is that there\u2019s no need to install them on your PC. Cloud-based anti-virus does not eat up hard disk space, with its storage and memory footprint being a fraction of what local anti-virus need. Additionally, you can get them up and running immediately, and there\u2019s no likelihood of messing up the installation (which usually results in a non-working antivirus or corrupted file volume).<\/p>\n

2. No Updating Necessary \u2013\u00a0 With cloud-based anti-virus, there is no need to update data files, since it\u2019s hosted on the cloud, and will automatically be patched or updated by the provider. This will offer the latest in protection when it becomes available.<\/p>\n

3. Double Security Layer \u2013 With cloud-based anti-virus software, it is possible to run a locally installed anti-malware app and run another different cloud-based antivirus without worrying about conflicts or PC slowdown. Different anti-virus software are better able to catch or inoculate different viruses.<\/p>\n

\"collective<\/a>4. An advantage of cloud-based anti-virus software the author missed is collective or community intelligence. SearchSecurity<\/em><\/a> reports<\/a> that when a system identifies malware, it’s able to give feedback to the cloud anti-malware provider, thus providing a wider surface area for rapidly detecting 0-day attacks.<\/p>\n

Cloud disadvantages<\/h3>\n

1. Won\u2019t Run in the Background – Cloud-based anti-viruses are not effective against viruses that run on startup. Cloud-based anti-viruses are not TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs and only run on an as-needed basis.<\/p>\n

2. Limited Scan \u2013 Cloud-based anti-viruses risk missing dormant viruses in unopened or archived files. Windows\u2019 security protocols will prevent some cloud anti-viruses from scanning the computer. They will only be able to scan core windows files and what\u2019s currently loaded in the memory.<\/p>\n

\"Network<\/a>3. It Requires an Internet Connection \u2013 Cloud-based anti-virus is useless without access to the Internet. This is a problem for portable device users who can\u2019t be connected 24×7. Without an Internet connection viruses will be free to do whatever they want.<\/p>\n

rb-<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The author concludes for the best protection your PC can get, you need to use the services of both a locally installed anti-virus software and a cloud-based one.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The main concern I have about cloud-based anti-virus apps is downtime. Cloud providers like Microsoft<\/a>, Amazon<\/a>, and Amazon<\/a> have had issues lately providing their services. Downtime at the upstream ISP on the LAN can also play havoc with cloud-based anti-malware apps.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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