Can I dispense with anti-virus and anti-adware?

[Billy Smith]

I do the maintenance for three computers and LAN for a small business.
My employer wants to eliminate web and email functions on one of the
machines (constant failures and error messages, too much trouble &
expense). It is running Win XP Pro with current updates, with a
ZoneAlarm firewall and Norton Anti-virus.

He wants me to disable web and email access to Internet (and disable
anti-virus and anti-adware apps) but leave other Internet access intact.
It would look like this:

1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm, use only Windows XP Firewall.
2. Uninstall all web browsers and email applications.
3. Disable/uninstall anti-virus and anti-adware.
4. Maintain all functions dependent on Internet, e.g. perform WinXP
updates and application updates.
5. Allow remote login via GoToMyPC.

I think the crux of the change is having no anti-virus and no anti-adware
because there would be no web or email activity.

I realize that there may be some inconvenience involved with not having
web access, e.g. application or OS updates sometimes try to put up a
web browser with an instruction page. We would have ready access to
web on other nearby machines.

My question: Will this work? Any problems with this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Guest]

Aside from any security issues, it's my understanding that both Windows
Update and GotoMyPC require a web browser. Windows Update, in fact, requires
Internet Explorer

 

[Notan]

I do the maintenance for three computers and LAN for a small business.
My employer wants to eliminate web and email functions on one of the
machines (constant failures and error messages, too much trouble &
expense). It is running Win XP Pro with current updates, with a
ZoneAlarm firewall and Norton Anti-virus.

He wants me to disable web and email access to Internet (and disable
anti-virus and anti-adware apps) but leave other Internet access intact.
It would look like this:

1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm, use only Windows XP Firewall.
2. Uninstall all web browsers and email applications.
3. Disable/uninstall anti-virus and anti-adware.
4. Maintain all functions dependent on Internet, e.g. perform WinXP
updates and application updates.
5. Allow remote login via GoToMyPC.

I think the crux of the change is having no anti-virus and no anti-adware
because there would be no web or email activity.

I realize that there may be some inconvenience involved with not having
web access, e.g. application or OS updates sometimes try to put up a
web browser with an instruction page. We would have ready access to
web on other nearby machines.

My question: Will this work? Any problems with this?

Before anything else, I'd remove NAV. It's been known to cause a plethora of
problems (i.e., conflicts), not to mention that it's a real resource hog.

The downside to XP's firewall is that it only monitors incoming communication.

Notan

 

[Leythos]

1. Uninstall ZoneAlarm, use only Windows XP Firewall.
2. Uninstall all web browsers and email applications.
3. Disable/uninstall anti-virus and anti-adware.
4. Maintain all functions dependent on Internet, e.g. perform WinXP
updates and application updates.
5. Allow remote login via GoToMyPC.

I think the crux of the change is having no anti-virus and no anti-adware
because there would be no web or email activity.

viruses spread via File Shares and other methods that don't require Web
or email access. Only a fool would setup a workstation running Windows
on a network that has exposed systems and then not install AV software.