What to do first

When the software is installed, it uses the DAT files packaged with the product, which provide general security for your environment. McAfee recommends you get the latest DAT files and customize the configuration to meet your requirements before you deploy the product to client systems.

Take these actions immediately after installing the product.

  1. Set user interface security. Configure the display and password options to prevent users from accessing specific components or the entire VirusScan Enterprise user interface. See Controlling Access to the User Interface for more information.
  2. Update DAT files. Perform an Update Now task to ensure that you have the most current DAT files. See Updating detection definitions for more information.
  3. Prevent intrusions. Configure these features to prevent potential threats from accessing your systems:
    • Access Protection. Configure access protection rules to prevent unwanted changes to your computer and enable the option to prevent McAfee processes from being terminated. See Protecting your system access points for more information.
    • Buffer Overflow Protection. Enable buffer overflow detection and specify exclusions. See Blocking buffer overflow exploits for more information.
    • Unwanted Programs Policy. Configure the policy that the on-access, on-demand, and email scanners use to detect potentially unwanted programs. Select unwanted program categories to detect from a predefined list, then define additional programs to detect or exclude. See Restricting potentially unwanted programs for more information.
  4. Detect intrusions. Configure these features to detect potential threats on your systems, then notify you and take action when detections occur:
    • AutoUpdate. Configure update tasks to get the most current DAT files, scanning engine, and product upgrades. See Updating detection definitions for more information.
    • On-Access Scanner. Configure the scanner to detect and take action on potential threats as the threats are accessed in your environment. Enable scanning of unwanted programs and scan for cookies in the cookies folder. See Scanning items on-access for more information.
    • On-Demand Scanner. Configure scan tasks to detect and take action on potential threats in your environment. Enable scanning of unwanted programs and scan for cookies in the cookies folder and potentially unwanted spyware-related registry entries that were not previously cleaned. See Scanning items on-demand for more information.
    • Email Scanners. Configure the on-delivery and on-demand scanning of Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes email clients. Enable scanning of unwanted programs. See Scanning email on-delivery and on-demand for more information.
  5. Send alerts and quarantine threats. Configure these features to alert you when detections occur and manage quarantined items:
    • Alerts and Notifications. Configure how and when you receive detection notifications and alerts. See Configuring alerts and notifications for more information.
    • Quarantine Manager Policy. Configure the location of the quarantine folder and the number of days to keep quarantined items before automatically deleting them. See Quarantined items for more information.
Related concepts

What to do first