NOD32

Infobox Software
name = NOD32



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developer = ESET
released =
latest release version = 3.0.672
latest release date = release date and age|2008|8|22 [cite web|url=http://www.eset.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4113&Itemid=5 |title=Changelog for ESET Smart Security and NOD32 3.0 |publisher=Eset.com |author=Eset, Llc And Eset |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10]
latest preview version =
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programming language =
operating system = Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, DOS
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genre = Anti-virus
license = closed source
website = [http://www.eset.com/ ESET.com]

NOD32 is an antivirus package made by the Slovak company ESET. Versions are available for Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and other platforms. A NOD32 Enterprise Edition is available that consists of NOD32 AntiVirus and NOD32 Remote Administrator. The NOD32 Remote Administrator program allows a network administrator to monitor anti-virus functions, push installations and upgrades to unprotected PCs on the network, and update configuration files from a central location, as well as centralizing the distribution of signatures.

History

NOD32 was born in the early 1990s when computer viruses were becoming increasingly prevalent.

Initially the program gained popularity with IT workers in Eastern European countries, as ESET was based in Slovakia. Though the program's abbreviation was originally pronounced as individual letters, recent worldwide use of the program has led to the more common single-word pronunciation, sounding like the English word "nod". [cite web|url=http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=25585 |title=NOD32 - What does it mean? - Wilders Security Forums |publisher=Wilderssecurity.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10] The company reached its 3000th update to virus definitions on April 3, 2008.

The acronym NOD stands for "Nemocnica na Okraji Disku" (hospital at the edge of the disk) a pun related to a Czechoslovak medical drama called "Nemocnica na okraji mesta" (hospital at the edge of the city).

Technical information

NOD32 is written largely in assembly code, [cite web|url=http://www.eset.com/company/article/(NOD32)-an-extremely-fast-Hi-Performance-Scanning-Engine---interview-with-Randy-Abrams/1497.php?contentID=1497 |title=ESET - Essential Security against Evolving Threats |publisher=Eset.com |author=Eset, Llc And Eset |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10] which contributes to its low use of system resources and high scanning speed. NOD32 can process more than 23MB per second while scanning on a Pentium 4 based PC [cite web|url=http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=822533&postcount=26 |title=Wilders Security Forums - View Single Post - Fun with NOD32 |publisher=Wilderssecurity.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10] and, on average, uses less than 20MB of memory in total. [ [http://www.eset.com/products/index.php ESET Products] ] The physical RAM used is often just a third of that. [cite web|url=http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=828805&postcount=5 |title=Wilders Security Forums - View Single Post - memory utilisation |publisher=Wilderssecurity.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10]

According to a 2005 Virus Bulletin test, NOD32 performs scans up to five times faster than other antivirus competitors. [cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Nov_8/ai_n15783097 |title=ESET's NOD32 Achieves 34th Consecutive Virus Bulletin 100% Award; NOD32 Is Recognized for Flawless Virus Protection; Performs Scans Five Times Faster than Symantec Antivirus Business Wire Find Articles at BNET.com |publisher=Findarticles.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10] [cite web|url=http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/11927/ |title=Newswire / Press Release: ESET NOD32 Wins Virus Bulletin 100% Award Once Again - IT Security/Anti-Spam NewswireToday |publisher=Newswiretoday.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10]

In a networked environment NOD32 clients can update from a central "mirror server" on the network, reducing bandwidth usage since new definitions need only be downloaded once by the mirror server as opposed to once for each client.

In addition to signature files, NOD32's scan engine uses heuristic detection (called "ThreatSense" by ESET) to provide better protection against newly released viruses.

ESET Smart Security

On November 5, 2007, ESET released an internet security suite ESET Smart Security, to compete with other security suites by other companies such as McAfee, Symantec, and Kaspersky.

ESET Smart Security features:
*NOD32 Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware engine (the next version of Eset's anti-malware engine (NOD32 v3.0))
*Firewall (with port stealthing and advanced filtering features)
*Anti-Spam (filtering with Bayesian filter, whitelisting and blacklisting)

ESET Smart Security Anti-Spam

The Antispam feature provides a defense against spam, as well as against email-borne threats that share many traits with normal spam.The antispam features of ESET utilize both client-based and server-based rules to provide immediate heuristic spam prevention, rather than relying only on signatures for detection.

All modes provide protocol filtering and intrusion detection.

A feature of ESET Smart Security's Personal firewall is the ability to mark specific programs as being network-aware. Using this feature, it is possible to identify and mark an application which can be used over a network (such as Microsoft Word) for far more rigorous heuristic checking of any network connections used by the application. This is more efficient than applying the same level of checking to every application, regardless of whether it has a network connection capability or not.

Reception

* NOD32 was certified by ICSA Labs. [cite web|url=http://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/product.php?tid=dfgdf$gdhkkjk-kkkk |title=/ICSALabs/Antivirus/Certified Products |publisher=Icsalabs.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10]
* It has been tested 52 times by Virus Bulletin and has failed twice and passed 50 times,with a success rate of over 96%, [cite web|url=http://www.eset.com/products/compare.php |title=Compare Antivirus Software - NOD32 compared to the competition - ESET |publisher=Eset.com |author=Eset, Llc And Eset |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10] the highest pass rate of the tested anti-virus products. [cite web|url=http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/archive/results?vendor=VE14 |title=Virus Bulletin : Independent Malware Advice |publisher=Virusbtn.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-10]
* At CNet.com it has received a score of 3.5/5 by editors and 4/5 by over 15 user votes. [ [http://reviews.cnet.com/system-utilities/eset-nod32-3-0/4505-3680_7-32955418.html?tag=mncol;lst ESET NOD32 3.0 Antivirus System (Windows) System utility reviews - CNET Reviews] ]
* At Download.com (owned by CNet) it has received a score of 5/5 by editors and 4/5 by 500+ user votes. [ [http://www.download.com/ESET-NOD32-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10185608.html?tag=mncol&cdlPid=10820917 ESET NOD32 Antivirus - Free software downloads and reviews] ]

See also

* Antivirus software
* ESET
* List of computer viruses

References

List of ESET Worldwide Sites - [http://www.eset.ie/partners/worldwide.php ESET Global Sites]

External links

* [http://www.nod32.com/ NOD32 homepage]
** [http://www.eset.com/partners/worldwide.php NOD32 worldwide partners page]
* [http://www.virusradar.com/ Virus radar on-line, a service run by Eset using NOD32 statistics]
* [http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16 The official NOD32 Support Forum]
* [http://www.eset.eu/threat-center/online-scanner ESET Online Scanner, an online scanner powered by NOD32]