anyone know of software that can sniff customers computers for virsus/worms over the network? Im just wondering what other services my company can provide.
Thanks
Depending on how far you go, this could become illegal. The best option would be to provide a support page describing products like:
Adaware
Spybot Search and Destroy
HiJackThis
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan
http://housecall.antivirus.com
and be sure to recommend that all of your customers run a virus scanner such as Norton or Trend Micro. Do not consider McAfee acceptable.
I used to revel in the days that I installed cable modems for a big cable company, I would get them online and take off, and not worry if they had a virus/spyware on their system. Today I am not so lucky, the people I install are on MY network, and I cannot just walk away and forget about them.
On every customer install that I do, I do an initial virus check, and if they do not have an antivirus program, I install AVG Free Antivirus as a minimal solution. Then I recommend they go immediately to the store and buy a copy of Norton or Trend Micro (my favorite) and use it instead of AVG. I also carry (on my thumb drive) a copy of Spybot and Spyware Blaster, as well as the AVG, so that I can put that on their system as well.
This may take longer on the install, but it is worth it in the long run. We also do inhouse computer repair, so sometimes I take their system to the shop with me, and just fix it for them (at a cost of course).
I am not aware of a scanner that will scan the customers system, there are too many variables involved with that (firewalls, routers, NAT, etc) so I cant imagine that working. However, I do run a packet sniffer on the network to see if there is virus like activity going on. For this I use IRIS, or you can use Ethereal, which is free of course.