Three anti-virus packages are better than one

IT systems need multiple virus protection products to be fully protected from major outbreaks.

According to a study by content checking software firm GFI, using a number of anti-virus packages simultaneously provides the best protection against malware.

The study analysed five different products and found that no single anti-virus product is as effective as two or more used together to catch the complex threats.

The testers looked at products by McAfee, Norman, Softwin, Symantec and Trend Micro and estimated their overall virus detection rate, their ability to scan through files and track non-virus malware.

All products had strength in different areas and combing two or more products would provide a better shield against viruses.

GFI CEO Nick Galea said in a statement: "Many organisations don't deploy multiple scanning engines because they do not want to pay twice for two overlapping sets of tools."