Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Soon after the development of the internet as a network structure connecting computers on a global scale, was the introduction of malicious computer code, which was disseminated through this network. Initially this code was the relegation of pranksters, but evolved quickly to be code causing destruction, intrusion and loss of privacy while on the internet. This code became known as the computer virus and was soon used by fraudsters to infiltrate networks to create deception and fraud for financial gain. It has become of paramount importance for users of the internet to protect themselves and their networks from these attacks, through various ingenious mechanisms of protection. The traditional mainstay for computer virus protection has been the software approach using counter code to protect against any malicious computer code. This protection has had limited success as the very nature of malicious code is constantly changing and evolving, making it sometimes an impossible task for internet users to be protected with the latest anti-virus software for protection. The author of this study introduces a managed anti-virus protection alternative which is delivered by a computer hardware device. This is a new technology and a full description is made of the role of this product as a new product development. The empirical research of this paper focuses around the test for a need for the product described to the point, but excluding commercialization. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kort na die ontwikkeling van die internet as 'n netwerkstruktuur wat rekenaars op 'n globale skaal verbind, was daar die bekendstelling van kwaadwillige rekenaarkodes wat reg deur die netwerk versprei het. Aanvanklik was die kode gemik op die verdrywing van poetsbakkers, maar het spoedig ontwikkel in kodeverdrywing, inmenging en verlies aan privaatheid op die internet. Hierdie kode het bekend geword as die rekenaarvirus, en is spoedig deur bedrieërs gebruik om netwerke te infiltreer om gebruikers te mislei en te bedrieg vir eie finansiële gewin. Dit het vir gebruikers van die internet van uiterste belang geword om hulle en hulle netwerkte teen hierdie aanvalle te beskerm, en wel deur middel van verskeie meganismes. Die bekendste bekermingsmatreël teen die virus is die aanwending van sagteware as teenkode. Hierdie bekermingsmetode het egter tot dusver beperkte sukses behaal, aangesien die aard van kwaadwilligheid voortdurend verander en ontwikkel, sodat dit soms onmoontlik is dat gebruikers deur die nuutste anti-virussagteware beskerm kan word. Die skrywer van hierdie verhandeling stel 'n werkbare, alternatiewe anti-virusbeskermer bekend wat deur rekenaar-hardewareplan daargestel is. Dit het nuwe tegnologie, en 'n volledige beskrywing word gegee van die rol van hierdie produk as 'n nuwe ontwikkeling. Die empiriese navorsing van die verhandeling fokus op die toets vir die noodsaaklikheid van so 'n produk, met die uisluiting van kommersialisering.