Web Content Filtering / Virus Scanning appliance

Hello all,
I'm in the market for a content / url / virus scanning device for our network. We are currently using MXLogic's Web Defense service and while it's very cheap it is not suiting our needs. What I'm looking for is an appliance that will do content filtering but also virus / malware / spyware scanning on web traffic. I'd also need to be able to setup policies / groups for different set's of users. For instance the folks who purchase the products we sell need to be able to see our vendors media (streaming video) content while our sales folks don't. I can't currently do this with MXLogic, it's all or nothing.
Our firewall is an ASA5510 and I've looked at the Content Security SSM-10 module with the plus license and while the pricing is definitely attractive I have a few questions about it. Does it integrate with MS Active Directory? In other words and it filter based on groups and policies or is it more IP / ACL based? Also does it perform well?
I've also looked at the IronPort product cisco sell's and have similar questions regarding that mainly what are folks experience with it, is it something you would recommend?

Hi Allen,
To answer your questions related to the CSC module:
1. No, the CSC module does not integrate with Active Directory. This is something that Trend Micro has in the works, but as of now there is no ETA for this functionality.
2. The CSC module will perform fairly well if used in the environment it was designed for. I would recommend taking a look at the CSC sizing guide to see if the CSC-SSM-10 would be something that is scalable enough for your network:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/vpndevc/ps6032/ps6094/ps6120/prod_white_paper0900aecd805c3cd6.html
I cannot speak to the performance/functionality of IronPort as I have not used it personally, but I have heard good things. Also, external appliances from Websense seem to be a popular choice when you need a product that is a bit more scalable or granular than what the CSC module can provide.
Hope that helps.
-Mike

Similar Messages

IOS web content filtering cannot get trend micro filter

hi, i just wondering how really i can get my router's content filtering connect to trps.trendmicro.com server again. previously it was success to get connect to the server, after i doing some changes on my zone-pair firewall then it cannot connect to the trend micro server anymore.
sh ip trm subscription status showing that i successfully connected and registerd
all the installation guide is doing accordingly,then i turn on my debug crypto pli validation and debug ip trm detail, all showing success connection to trendmicro site.
parameter-map type trend-global <param> are pointing to the trps.trendmicro.com, my class-map and policy-map didn't have any changes since last success connection.
zone-pair setting also attach with the right policy-map that serve for service-policy urlfilter <name>
overall, after my zone-pair firewall is UP again, then my web content filtering is gone, while registeration is made..
anyone have any idea what really happen?
thanks
Noel

Hi Yongkhang,
I think in order to figure out what is happening, we need to troubleshoot and see the config, data and other show commands. I'm not sure if you would feel comfortable posting that here. Therefore, i think its best to open up a case with tac on it so that it can be troubleshot to see why you cant access the trend micro server.
can you let me know what you mean by when you turn on your ZBF, your web content filtering is gone. Are you saying, when you turn on zbf, the web content filtering is no longer blocking or allowing sites?
have you ran the following debugs?
debug ip urlfilter detail
debug ip urlfilter event
debug ip url filter function-trace
also, what does this show:
show policy-map type inspect zone-pair urlfilter
Are you sure you have the class maps in the proper order since its processed sequentially..
regards,
scott

Web content filtering

My company currently uses a product called Websense that provides web security and content filtering. The content filtering operates as a proxy server and Safari doesn't work with it. We would like to migrate toward the use of iPad's, but we need to find a solutions for web/content filtering. We want the ability to globally establish policies and control the web filtering at the enterprise level. They would like to avoid replacing the browser. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks

dcorwin
You can setup a proxy for your WiFi network in Settings > WiFi > (your SSID) > HTTP Proxy. This approach has two limitations:
1. You can only setup the proxy when the device is on that specific WiFi network
2. The setting cannot be locked and can be changed by the user at any time
When Apple announced iOS 6 two weeks ago, one of the slides had a suggestion of a Global HTTP Proxy, but the limitation above may still apply.
Another approach is to use a Safe Browser like Mobicip. The browser is equivalent to Safari in terms of functionality, and allows you to globally establish policies and control the web filtering at the enterprise level. The limitation of this approach, actually a limitation of iOS, is that links from other apps will need to be copy/pasted into the safe browser.
Hope this helps.
Disclosure: This response was posted by a Mobicip representative who may stand to gain indirectly from it.

Web Content Filtering on WP8+

Is there (or will there be) any way to filter web content on WP8+ devices?
We can disable WiFi and rely on carrier content filtering but would like the option of WiFi if possible.

This is not something that is offered today through Intune. However, we will take this as feedback.
Thanks!
Paul Goodson - This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.

Apple Configurator Web Content Filtering Question

I manage a few K12 classroom sets of iPods via Apple Configurator and I have a younger classroom that wants to limit web access to a few sites and I have been trying to adjust the profile in Apple Configurator to make this happen but it doesn't work.
I open the profile and go to the Web Content Filter option and add a payload to only allow specific websites and enter the URLs and apply the updated profile to the supervised device but I can still get anywhere I want in Safari. I have tried this process for an hour now to no avail and can't seem to find anything online.
The only thing I can think of is that this option to limit to specific sites is only available to iOS 7(?). We own quite a few of the 4th generation iPod Touches that are obviously denied this upgrade and so am looking for any help or validation that this option in Apple Configurator is available only to iOS 7 supervised devices???
Thanks.

Here is my answer as per an email from Chris C. a Systems Engineer for Apple Education:
That was a new feature added with Apple Configurator 1.4 and works with iOS 7 supervised devices. I will research this a bit more to see if there is a way around this to work with iOS 6 devices and will follow up with you shortly.
I understand that you cannot always support "older" operating systems but am truly frustrated with Apple's lack of support on iOS 6 devices when this is what so many K12 schools will have...

ASA 5515x and web content filtering

hi all
i tried adding a content rule on my asa 5515x, it say i don' t have one configured in configuration/firewall/url filtering. when i got there, i need to configure either websense or smartfiler. Are those free or I need to purchase that from those vendor? My 5515x is security plus, is that included there?
does asa 5515x have it's own filtering without going to third party vendor?
thanks for any comment you may add.

As already mentioned, the MPF has the capability to filter on URLs. But that is quite limited and in my opinion not usable at all (unless you only have a couple of FQDNs to filter that don't change often). If you need more functionality and you want to stay on the ASA you could deploy ASA-CX. Otherwise you could deploy a dedicated proxy and force your users to use that proxy. That could be the best solution in your environment.
Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPad App

Web content filtering software??

Can anybody suggest a good web filtering programme compatible with Safari?
When my brother in Law wants to use my internet for 'homework' i want to avoid him being able to look up anything to do with Sex, Drugs or Playstation (his grades are getting worse and so is his PS2 addiction.)
Anybody help??
Cheers.

Hello,
I think WebSense is pretty good, they seems closely integrated with Cisco:
http://www.websense.com/global/en/
Also, check this link for a review of 10 different filter applications:
Internet Filter Review
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/?ttreng=1&ttrkey=internet+filter
Regards,
GP

URL / Web content filter

hello all! We are currently looking to replace our PIX 515e's with something newer. The hang up is we want to look at something else besides Websense for our URL / Web Content filtering specifically because of price on renewal's. We do not currently have IDS / IPS in place unless you count the Websense as doing that (maybe just a little bit?) and it would be nice to add that capability. I've had experience with the Palo Alto box as a UTM in the past however we want to stick with Cisco where I'm at presently. So what we're looking at is the new ASA 5515-X or 5525-X (HA pair) with IPS plus something else for the web filtering side (besides Websense). We're getting quotes on the IronPort S160 however my guess is it's going to be just as pricy as Websense, probably the same for Scan Safe. Right now we're at about 300 users but are looking to double that in the next year. What are some other good solutions out there? Easey to manage would be nice, less expensive would be nice, effective would be nice. Can we get that all together?

Don't know about traffic from multiple networks. Offhand, I can't think of why this would be a problem for squid itself, other than it may complicate the config a little bit -- but it may not. I did a quick Google and didn't see anything that indicated it may be a problem, but I probably didn't click as many links as you did
Squid is just one option. The disadvantage of squid compared to a paid-for service, in my opinion, is that you either have to get lists from somewhere or manually create your own block and allow lists. Because of that, I use a combination of OpenDNS to block the obvious like porn, and then I use squid for more granular control like managament can view job searching sites, but other users cannot.
With squid, you have so many options though. For example, you could setup a scheduled task to download current lists from your source of choice and apply them to squid ACLs.
I am a much smaller shop though, so this works for me. 300-600 users changes things up a little depending on what you want to accomplish.

ASA CX content filtering, looking for suggestions

I wanted to get some feedback on how the rest of you security folks are doing web content filtering.
The CX does a great job with HTTP but when it comes to HTTPS it leaves a lot to be desire. When the CX first went live, it was configured to decrypt all HTTPS traffic and Deny transactions to servers "Using an untrusted certificate" and "If the secure session handshake fails" turned on.
Immediately I started to implement the "Do not decrypt" policy and it worked great for most websites experiencing HTTPS decryption issues. Other websites required that HTTPS certificate be imported to the CX for it to work.
However, due to the constant "error:140920E3:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER_HELLO:parse tlsext" I experimented with different work a rounds till I found these articles.
http://www.exploresecurity.com/the-small-print-for-openssl-legacy_renegotiation/
https://www.digicert.com/news/2011-06-03-ssl-renego.htm
TAC's suggestion was to create a deny statement (using an object group that defines the FQDN) at the top of the ACL that send the traffic from the ASA to the CX. This was the only way to keep the CX deny "Using an untrusted certificate" and "If the secure session handshake fails" decryption settings turned on.
Now I feel I am back at square one as the number of exceptions have grown exponentially. This has led me to believe that I need to revisit the way that content filtering is being implemented. My goal is to apply a simple yet scalable solution. As I see it, I can continue to add to the "ASA to CX" exemption list, this is not a scalable solution as it requires all FQDN to be defined (ex. bank.com, server1.bank.com, server2.bank.com, etc). The alternative is to relax the CX decryption configurations which I feel is the equivalent of removing a car's airbags for weight reduction to make it faster.
Any input would be appreciated!

I've come to the conclusion that SSL decryption is only possible where a robust PKI has been deployed in an enterprise. Even then we would ideally use a dedicated SSL decryption appliance so we can hand the CX (or ASA with FirePOWER service module) plain old http for inspection.
The software modules just don't have the processing power to be able to do line rate decryption for any but the most modest throughput rates.
Also, the CX is being deprecated going forward in favor of the FirePOWER modules so you won't see any significant new feature addressing this shortcoming on the CX.

How to virus scan uploads

I think everybody will be aware that large web sites
always virus scan the files you upload to there server.
Would anybody know how to virus scan a file that you would upload on to your server.
Using JSP or the Java Bean.
This one is trickly.
Many thanks to all.
Any help is good help

Upload it to a temporary folder. Run an external virus scanner against the file (find out how to run an external program). If it passes, move it to the "real" location. otherwise, prompt the user for instructions.

Internet Content Filtering

Hello; I am looking at Purchasing a BB Curve from Verizon Wireless (all of our phones are with them now).
I need to figure out how to set-up Internet (WEB) content filtering without using BES. We are not setup with Microsoft exchange server etc. I will be the only employee with a Blackberry.
Can this be done without using BES? I have searched HIGH and LOW and have found NOTHING that tells me if this can be acheived and how.
Verizon Wireless offers Web Content filtering but of course NOT for BBs.
HELP!!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hi and welcome to the forums,
I was unable to come up with any content filtering for a BIS device as well.
They are all designed for BES.
Sorry!
If this answers your question please resolve the thread by using the options over the kudo's star.
If you need more assistance please let us know!
Thanks!
Click Accept as Solution for posts that have solved your issue(s)!
Be sure to click Like! for those who have helped you.
Install BlackBerry Protect it's a free application designed to help find your lost BlackBerry smartphone, and keep the information on it secure.

Virus Scanning Options for Web Proxy

Hi There,
The release notes for 3.6 state that Virus Scanning is no longer supported as a function of the product.
What options do I have to virus scan in and outbound content? Is there a virus scanner that plugs in via the NSAPI?
Cheers
Andrew

Hi
This thread was interesting as I have many customer sites using virus scanning without any problems together with this proxy.. Some sites are really huge as well.
Can the author of this thread explain how the scanning that now refuse to work is done with the proxyserver... Through an API or as forwarded requests to another scanning proxy (trend micro etc.) or what ? Maybe this is done in some way I am not aware of. Then I am really interested in your problem.
We mostly use it "user->proxy->vscanner->site" where the proxy and the scanner often run at the same host. This in huge installations together with load balancers infront and behind.
/Per-Olov

Virus scan failed Error on deploying a web application having a jar file for calling the applet on the jsp page

Hi,
I have an applet application that i want to deploy on the Oracle cloud.
So i have created a jar file for the applet application and i am using this jar to call the applet on a jsp page.
But when i am delpoying my application on the java cloud, its giving me the below error:
2014-10-28 03:16:41 CDT: Starting action "Virus Scan"
2014-10-28 03:16:41 CDT: Virus Scan started
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: File Scanned: "Application7.ear".
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: File Size: "106698122".
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: File Status: "INFECTED".
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: Virus scan failed.
2014-10-28 03:16:49 CDT: "Virus Scan" complete: status FAILED
Can't we deploy any application having applet or swing component's onto the cloud?
Or do we need to request for any extra permissions for the same?
Thanks,
Manoj

I don't see applets mentioned in the supported features nor in the unsupported features so not sure if they are supported you would likely need to contact the operations team to confirm.
Jani Rautiainen
Fusion Applications Developer Relations
https://blogs.oracle.com/fadevrel/

Content filters on samsung reality--not available?

was trying to set up content filters for my kids on a samsung reality. i was told that it would not work on that phone and the phone would need to be upgraded to be able to use. The two other phones on the family plan are balckberries and content filters are available. WHy can't i use these filters on the reality?

You might be referring to our DLP (Data Loss Prevention) seen on 6.0 and above. Below is a clip from our User Guide, you can search for that section to see if it fits your needs.
DATA SECURITY AND EXTERNAL DLP POLICIES OVERVIEW
In the Information Age, your organization’s data is one of its most prized possessions. Your
organization spends a lot of money making data available to your employees, customers, and
partners. Data is always on the move by traveling over the web and email. This increased
access poses challenges for information security professionals to figure out how to prevent the
malicious, accidental, or unintentional loss of sensitive and proprietary information.
The IronPort Web Security appliance secures your data by providing the following
capabilities:
• IronPort Data Security Filters. The IronPort Data Security Filters on the Web Security
appliance evaluate data leaving the network over HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP to control what
data goes where and how and by whom.
• Third party data loss prevention (DLP) integration. The Web Security appliance integrates
with leading third party content-aware DLP systems that identify and protect sensitive
data. The Web Proxy uses the Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP) which is a
lightweight HTTP based protocol that allows proxy servers to offload content scanning to
external systems. By offloading the content scanning to dedicated external systems, the
Web Proxy can take advantage of the deep content scanning in other products while
being free to perform other Web Proxy functions with minimal performance impact.

How do I virus scan my iMac with OS X

How do I virus scan my iMac with OS X?

Mac users often ask whether they should install "anti-virus" software. The answer usually given on ASC is "no." The answer is right, but it may give the wrong impression that there is no threat from what are loosely called "viruses." There is a threat, and you need to educate yourself about it.
1. This is a comment on what you should—and should not—do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet and gets onto a computer as an unintended consequence of the user's actions. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the computer, or who has been able to log in to it remotely. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it.
The comment is long because the issue is complex. The key points are in sections 5, 6, and 10.
OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user. Internally Apple calls it "XProtect."
The malware recognition database used by XProtect is automatically updated; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
☞ It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
☞ It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
☞ It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
☞ A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
☞ An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
Apple has so far failed to revoke the codesigning certificates of some known abusers, thereby diluting the value of Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. These failures don't involve App Store products, however.
For the reasons given, App Store products, and—to a lesser extent—other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. Sandbox security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they are not, and never will be, complete protection. Malware is a problem of human behavior, and a technological fix is not going to solve it. Trusting software to protect you will only make you more vulnerable.
The best defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the scam artists. If you're smarter than they think you are, you'll win. That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know when you're leaving the safe harbor? Below are some warning signs of danger.
Software from an untrustworthy source
☞ Software of any kind is distributed via BitTorrent, or Usenet, or on a website that also distributes pirated music or movies.
☞ Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, doesn't come directly from the developer’s website. Do not trust an alert from any website to update Flash, or your browser, or any other software.
☞ Rogue websites such as Softonic and CNET Download distribute free applications that have been packaged in a superfluous "installer."
☞ The software is advertised by means of spam or intrusive web ads. Any ad, on any site, that includes a direct link to a download should be ignored.
Software that is plainly illegal or does something illegal
☞ High-priced commercial software such as Photoshop is "cracked" or "free."
☞ An application helps you to infringe copyright, for instance by circumventing the copy protection on commercial software, or saving streamed media for reuse without permission.
Conditional or unsolicited offers from strangers
☞ A telephone caller or a web page tells you that you have a “virus” and offers to help you remove it. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
☞ A web site offers free content such as video or music, but to use it you must install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "downloader," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one.
☞ You win a prize in a contest you never entered.
☞ Someone on a message board such as this one is eager to help you, but only if you download an application of his choosing.
☞ A "FREE WI-FI !!!" network advertises itself in a public place such as an airport, but is not provided by the management.
☞ Anything online that you would expect to pay for is "free."
Unexpected events
☞ A file is downloaded automatically when you visit a web page, with no other action on your part. Delete any such file without opening it.
☞ You open what you think is a document and get an alert that it's "an application downloaded from the Internet." Click Cancel and delete the file. Even if you don't get the alert, you should still delete any file that isn't what you expected it to be.
☞ An application does something you don't expect, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
☞ Software is attached to email that you didn't request, even if it comes (or seems to come) from someone you trust.
I don't say that leaving the safe harbor just once will necessarily result in disaster, but making a habit of it will weaken your defenses against malware attack. Any of the above scenarios should, at the very least, make you uncomfortable.
6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it—not JavaScript—in your browsers.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Stay within the safe harbor, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself.
7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" (AV) or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they are all worse than useless. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free security apps in the Mac App Store—nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial AV products?
☞ To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. This technique is a proven failure, as a major AV software vendor has admitted. Most attacks are "zero-day"—that is, previously unknown. Recognition-based AV does not defend against such attacks, and the enterprise IT industry is coming to the realization that traditional AV software is worthless.
☞ Its design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere. In order to meet that nonexistent threat, commercial AV software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
☞ By modifying the operating system, the software may also create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
☞ Most importantly, a false sense of security is dangerous.
8. An AV product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," has the same drawback as the commercial suites of being always out of date, but it does not inject low-level code into the operating system. That doesn't mean it's entirely harmless. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
An AV app is not needed, and cannot be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful, if at all, only for detecting Windows malware, and even for that use it's not really effective, because new Windows malware is emerging much faster than OS X malware.
Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else. A malicious attachment in email is usually easy to recognize by the name alone. An actual example:
London Terror Moovie.avi [124 spaces] Checked By Norton Antivirus.exe
You don't need software to tell you that's a Windows trojan. Software may be able to tell you which trojan it is, but who cares? In practice, there's no reason to use recognition software unless an organizational policy requires it. Windows malware is so widespread that you should assume it's in everyemail attachment until proven otherwise. Nevertheless, ClamXav or a similar product from the App Store may serve a purpose if it satisfies an ill-informed network administrator who says you must run some kind of AV application. It's free and it won't handicap the system.
The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have all the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
10. As a Mac user, you don't have to live in fear that your computer may be infected every time you install software, read email, or visit a web page. But neither can you assume that you will always be safe from exploitation, no matter what you do. Navigating the Internet is like walking the streets of a big city. It's as safe or as dangerous as you choose to make it. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

Web Content Filtering / Virus Scanning appliance

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