The selection of the appropriate class of anti-virus tools requires answers to the following set of questions:
The first two questions address risk; security should always be commensurate with need. The third and fourth questions address the limitations of the tools and personnel. The answers will be different for each person or organization.
Every organization is at some risk of virus infection. Virus infections can occur whenever electronic information is shared. Every organization shares information in some way and is a potential victim of a virus infection. Most organizations should have some tools available to detect such an infection.
Personal computer users may benefit from tools to identify viruses, since so many viruses exist. Identification tools are not necessary where viruses are few or only theoretically possible.
The use of removal tools is generally not required.
It may be desirable
in situations where a single person or a small team is tasked with
cleaning up after an infection or where high connectivity can result in rapid
spread of the virus (such as networks).