With the decrease in the total number of viruses, some have theorized that the need for virus protection is becoming less and less necessary. Protecting systems such as servers and workstations is nothing new. In fact, using anti-virus software was the first method enlisted to stop malicious code from infecting and propagating between these systems. However, the sophistication of viruses and malware in recent years has dramatically changed the playing field.

The purpose of this paper is to help individuals understand the scope of the malicious software defense problem, and specific strategies available to combat this continually changing threat.