Shipping management firm V.Ships has signed a deal with managed security services supplier ScanSafe to protect 68 offices from computer viruses.

V.Ships, which provides crew and services to 900 vessels around the world, has blocked 340 web viruses and 150,000 pieces of other malicious code since it started to outsource virus scanning earlier this year.

It now plans to protect more than 1,000 staff in 26 countries by the end of the year using the ScanSafe service.

All of V.Ships’ internet traffic will be routed through ScanSafe’s remote systems to ensure malicious code is filtered before it reaches the company.

The firm is opening offices around the world, and it would be hard to manage IT security with anti-virus software in each office, says Walter Wilson, group network and security manager.

‘To maintain and finance 68 anti-virus solutions would have been no mean task. By outsourcing to ScanSafe we will have uniform policy delivery and we will stop viruses at source,’ he said.

ScanSafe will also provide content filtering, so staff will not be able to access undesirable sites or be routed to sites which may contain malicious software, such as keystroke loggers or spyware.

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