Dr Alan Solomon passed away in February 2024, and with him goes a piece of antivirus history. Solomon was a genuine pioneer — one of the people who built the anti-malware industry from nothing.
He founded S&S International in the 1980s, which produced Dr Solomon’s Anti-Virus Toolkit. At its peak, it was one of the most widely used antivirus products in the world. This was back when viruses spread via floppy disks and the idea of a global malware problem seemed far-fetched to most people.
Solomon knew better. He saw where things were headed and built tools to fight it. McAfee eventually acquired his company in 1998.
Beyond the products, Solomon contributed to the technical community. He wrote papers, spoke at conferences, and helped shape how the industry thought about malware detection. He was also a medical doctor — the “Dr” wasn’t honorary. He practiced medicine alongside his security work for years.
The antivirus world we have today stands on the shoulders of people like Alan Solomon.
