OS/2 FAQ List: User's Edition (4 Apr 94)

(3.7) Viruses

Should I worry about viruses when running OS/2 2.1?

At present there are no OS/2-specific viruses.  However, DOS/Windows 
viruses can conceivably infect an OS/2 2.1 system.  DOS/Windows antivirus 
tools are just as useful in preventing such infection.  Also, IBM has an 
antivirus package (AntiVirus/2) which runs under OS/2 directly (without 
DOS/Windows emulation).  To order AntiVirus/2, call 800-551-3579 
(800-465-7999 in Canada).  {{ Other anti-virus packages for OS/2 include 
Central Point's AntiVirus, McAfee's SCAN and CLEAN, and Dr. Solomon's 
Antivirus Toolkit. }}  Others (Dr. Cohen, for example) are in development.

But OS/2 2.1 is likely to be much more resistant to viruses because of its 
design.  Viruses running in one virtual DOS/Windows session are likely to 
be confined to that session.  Low level disk access is curtailed under 
OS/2 2.1, thus preventing most virus infection at that level.  And when a 
DOS/Windows virus does trigger, it is far less likely to disrupt the 
entire system.  In fact, OS/2 is most vulnerable when it isn't in charge 
(i.e. when native DOS is being used).  A DOS virus then has free reign to 
write to the hard disk and possibly disable OS/2.  The greater risk comes 
from leaving OS/2.

OS/2 2.1 is by no means virus proof -- no system is.  But it should prove 
more resistant to virus infection.

Related information:

(1.3) DOS and Windows Compatibility

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