Q: Is using two brands of antivirus software safer than using one?

A: Oftentimes, midsize enterprises wind up with an architecture that includes at least two brands of antivirus software – one for the desktop and another one or two for the gateways. This often happens as a result of timing, the selection process, and responsibility across different buying centers.

Some organizations believe that two brands of antivirus software are safer than one because if one vendor’s signatures don’t catch the newest threat at the gateway, the second vendor’s signatures on the desktop might. However, the belief is unfounded because today most update services respond to threats at nearly the same speed.

What is your experience with multiple antivirus software products? We’d like to know – send an e-mail now to midmarket@gartner.com.

Reference
Market Trends
Antivirus Software Market Surges to $1.4 Billion
Published: August 29, 2003
Authors: N. Schroder and A. Hallawell, Gartner, Inc.