A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for configuring a virus detection of a plurality of network elements in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method monitors an attribute of each one of the plurality of network elements, detects the attribute of one or more of the plurality of network elements breaches at least one respective threshold, configures each one of the one or more of the plurality of network elements to reduce a number of virus detection processes of the virus detection in accordance with a respective type of network element and resumes a normal virus detection for each one of the one or more of the plurality of network elements when the attribute of a respective one of the one or more network elements does not breach the respective threshold.