OS 10.6 Server - What virus software to install?

Beyond the baked-in SpamAssassin and ClamAV tools?

Whether you think the add-on Mac anti-virus (AV) stuff is worthwhile is your call; so long as you stay current and don't hand out the root password, your biggest exposure tends to be remote attacks targeting installed software or "poor" password choices. And some of that can be blocked by a commercial or open-source firewall.

As for Microsoft Windows, the Apple forums probably aren't the best spot for questions if Windows anti-malware tools; those AV and anti-malware tools are usually discussed elsewhere, and (for smaller environments) those tools usually download their definitions directly from an AV vendor-provided site, or from an AV vendor-provided server.

Mac boxes are generally immune to Microsoft Windows malware.

ClamAV can help you keep your shares clean of Windows malware, and the usual Windows AV client tools running on the Windows boxes can keep the Windows issues mostly under control, as well.

If you want suggestions for Windows AV tools, I'd suggest having a chat with the Microsoft folks.

If your Windows clients have anti-malware tools, then those should deal with infections from files residing on the shares. You may want to have just one Windows box configured to scan the shares, but that's an optimization.

But if you have your wallet open as wide as it appears to be, the anti-malware sales folks will find all sorts of stuff to sell you. MacAfee, Norton and Sophos are around for Mac OS X Server (and supersede what the integrated ClamAV provides), and opinions of these will vary. I run ClamAV, but then I also don't have a huge population of Windows boxes around, and those that are around have their own AV, and those Windows boxes generally aren't permitted to wander the open network.

The ClamAV that comes with SLS only deals with mail, and does nothing for anything else unless you replace it with the standard build (last time I looked though it took a lot of hands on to get it to work with 10.6) I have been using Intego's VirusBarrier for Server 3(a new product) for a number of months and found it very satisfactory, but only because I've been using Intego well in advance of Norton or Sophos releasing for 10.6. The only issue is that the firewall portion needs to be set up properly or you will loose the ability to run ARD or Timbuktu or SSH.

As to Microsoft you can use anything you want, Norton, Panda, whatever, inclusive of using it on virtual sessions, but you must use something. However, regardless of what you use, expect to pay on a per server or per client basis set up as per year subscriptions.

I will agree that, in general, Macs are not susceptible to Windows viruses. But, like Linux, they are capable for retransmitting them through the mail system.

use avast! anti viruse, its the best and its free! a good free firewall is zone alarm, i used those both on my old (almost a swear word) vista and it nvr ahd virus problems or hackers, note; zone alarm makes fake hacking events there really wont be 5,000 people hacking you per year its just to try to convince u to waste money on upgradeing, i know people!

I think its a good idea to install antivirus application on a file server that a lot of windows computer uses. It should be more common. As you say, the question is not if the server will be infected or not, its to stop another pc from open an infected file saved on the server.

Check out iAntivirus. I haven't used it in server, but it works quite good on the desktop computers, and is auto updating and autoscanning. You don't need to be involved and accept stuff all the time. As a bonus, its free. However, I don't know how fast they are to put in new updates...

I've been using Sophos. It's got a good PC version and a good Mac version.
You may want to think twice about putting AV software on an OS X Server. It probably won't hurt, but if your clients are well protected, malware should be taken care of before it hits the server. You also don;t want the extra work of having your server scan all the files that fly back and forth over the network.