Software Review by J.D. Abolins (first submittal: ASCIIRIBER) VACCINE, VERSION 2.0 (not to be confused with FoundationWare's VACCINE, VERSION 1.2 or several other programs by the same name.) WorldWide Data Corporation 17 Battery Place New York, NY 10004 1-800-643-3000 ext. 123 for all credit card and COD orders from individuals. 1-212-422-4100 for other calls and orders. 1-212-809-7206 for FAXed Corporate Purchase Orders. For IBM and IBM compatible computers (including PC, XT, AT (286 & 386), and PS/2 - 30,50,60, or 80) using DOS 2.0 or later. Sold on a 5.25" 360K floppy diskette only. Not copy-protected. 3.5" diskette version copies will be provided on exchange basis to REGISTERED USERS ONLY. Price: $79.95 (Discount prices available for large orders.) WorldWide Data's VACCINE is one of the many "anti-viral" software packages on the market now. These programs offer to guard computers from malicious computer programs, known as "Trojan Horses" and "viruses". Many of these programs emphasize the parallels between computer "viruses" and biological viruses. VACCINE is no exception; its very name has a medical connotation. Its packaging displays pictures of hypodermics, forceps, Kelly clamps, and other medical instruments. The medical analogy was so strong, I felt I had to sterilize my hands before loading the program into the XT. The VACCINE package includes one 5.25" diskette, a nine-page instruction book, registration card, and a couple of information sheets. The diskette itself included three main programs- VACCINE, ANTIDOTE, and CHECKUP. The are several utility and sample files files included, as well as a README file for additional documentation. The instructions were clear, concise, and simple. ANTIDOTE, which is the first program to be run when installing VACCINE, scans executable files on one's hard disk, looking for signs of program code to any of the various "viruses" known to WorldWide Data. ANTIDOTE can run periodically to check for suspicious code. CHECKUP examines the executable files on one's hard drive, derives checksums, checks the files' sizes, and compares the information against a file of values from an earlier CHECKUP run. If the file of previous values doesn't exist, CHECKUP will create a new one. It will give a status report telling one which files have been changed, deleted, or added. VACCINE is a memory-resident program which detects programs that change memory tables or they to become memory-resident. To prevent continual false alarms when running legitimate programs, one must prepare a configuration file which lists the names of legitimate program which may trigger off VACCINE's warnings. This is quite simple. The documentation suggests that VACCINE be invoked by the AUTOEXEC.BAT so that it is always in the background. When it detects a program attempting to change the memory tables or become memory- resident, VACCINE sounds off rapid pulsing tones and flashes a warning at the bottom of the screen. It gives one three options- "Y" to continue the program, "R" to reboot the system, or "A, Alt-A, or Control-A" to add the detected program's name to the configuration file. Simple enough. The option to update the configuration file is excellent; the update can be done with one keystroke. As mentioned several times above, VACCINE is simple to install and to use. But a major question remains- "how effective is it against destructive programs?". Since I don't have samples of "virus" program, I could not run a full "live ammo" test. Yet from examining and using the package, I have found several indicators of its capabilities and weaknesses. The package does a good overall checkup of the EXECUTABLE FILES. This will detect most of the "viruses" which infect executable files. VACCINE will not detect anything that infects other files, such as overlay files. For moment, most of the "viruses" that I have heard about would be detected by VACCINE since they, at some point, will affect executable files. There are no such assurances for the future. A major precaution that must be taken with this software was with any other "anti-virus" software- one's system must be "clean" before installing the software. Otherwise, the software may consider the destructive software as a part of the normal environment. This is why the VACCINE documention specifies that one uses ANTIDOTE first. But if ANTIDOTE misses bogus code, it may be a while before CHECKUP of VACCINE detect the code. While running CHECKUP several times, I have noticed a quirk that can cause problems for some users. I use a subdirectory with a high-order ASCII character in its name. The first time I ran CHECKUP, it worked well since it was creating a new checksum/size file. But when I ran CHECKUP again, it gave me an error message, saying that the program found an invalid character in the checksum/size file. After experimenting with renaming of the unusual subdirectory, my suspicions were confirmed. CHECKUP can be thrown off by high- order ASCII (ASCII 128-255) in filenames or directory names. This quirk makes it impossible to effectively use CHECKUP on the whole hard disk or on the root directory; CHECKUP can still used with subdirectories that don't have the high-order ASCII codes. This should be no problem for most users, but some users should be aware of this quirk. I know no solution to this quirk other than changing the filenames or directory names. VACCINE was simple to install and to use. It seems to offer a good amount of protection against the most of the common types of malicious programs. But will only scan executable files, so other files are still vulnerable. Then there is the matter of CHECKUP's quirk regarding non-standard filenames. Then considering the price of VACCINE ($79.00), I would recommend for the average home PC user to check out some of the other "anti-virus" software before deciding which one to buy. Some have options that VACCINE does not and many offer a bit more for less cost. VACCINE will definitely do the job of providing some protection for one's system. But there is no 100% effective "anti-virus" program. So whatever software, one uses, one must still compute wisely.