Its believed that at least 300 to 350 viruses are created and detected every month. Network Associates and Symantec offer leading poducts to combat these problems. Their programs can detect and remove thousands of viruses. In addition, these companies experience recurring revenue since each version must be updated through a licensing agreement or maintenance contract. A sub segment of virus software is firewall software which blocks internal computer networks from the global internet.
Firewall software acts as a gateway to determine which information can enter and exit a network.
Leading companies include Check Point Sofware, Cisco Systems, Axtent Tchnologies, Inc. and Network Assdociates. The computer industry is very much concentrating efforts on developing internet-based software to complement the internet's growth. These developments are mainly centered around Sun's Java computer language which allows a computer program to run on any computer platform regardless of the operating system used. This development effort is a direct threat against Microsoft's dominance of the desktop with their proprietary operating system platform. However, many companies are developing resources around a freely distributed operating system called Linux.