Computer Virus Protection at the University of Michigan

Computer viruses cause numerous problems both for you and the U-M computing environment. To combat these problems, the university offers a number of safeguards, including providing — at no cost — excellent commercial anti-virus software programs.

Free Anti-Virus Software

The first line of defense is maintaining up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer. To make this as simple as possible, the university provides—at no cost—excellent commercial anti-virus software to students, faculty, and staff.

• FOR WINDOWS: Get Microsoft Security Essentials or Microsoft Forefront from the Safe Computing website.

• FOR MAC OS X: Although there are fewer viruses and malware that can infect Mac OS X, it never hurts to be prepared. Get Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac OS X from the Safe Computing website. You'll need to authenticate using your uniqname and UMICH password.

Simple Steps to Help Yourself

1. Download and install the anti-virus software listed above.. You'll be asked to log in using your uniqname and UMICH password to download the software.

2. Never open any email attachment without directly contacting the sender — even if it's your best friend or a relative. Many viruses are distributed through attachments, and it's way too easy for virus creators to forge someone's email address. Don't check by replying to the original email; rather, send a new message or call.

3. Beware downloading free items from the Internet, including those from peer-to-peer file sharing sites like Kazaa. This is another popular way to distribute viruses.

4. Beware of fraudulent e-mails that ask for your password. Learn about Spam, Phishing, and Suspicious Email so you are not tricked into providing information to criminals.

If Your Computer Is Infected

If you don't follow the simple steps above, computer viruses will be a fact of life. But all is not lost — we offer a few ways to help you remove a virus infection:

• Contact the ITS Service Center for assistance.

• Take your computer to the ITS Computer Support & Repair Service at the U-M Computer Showcase. Technicians will consult with you at no charge. If needed, they can, for a fee, disinfect your computer and install the appropriate anti-virus program.

• If you live in a residence hall, visit the Center for Vulnerability Control.

How the University Helps You

Some of these items have already been mentioned.

• Provides—at no cost—excellent commercial anti-virus software specially configured for U-M.

• Offers support through the ITS Service Center.

• Offers a for-fee virus disinfection service.

• Electronically scans email attachments that pass through the ITS Mail Gateway for viruses. Of course, neither your email nor the attachment is ever opened or read.

• Provides a variety of online resources concerning computer security issues on the Safe Computing website.

Additional Resources

Visit ITS's Information System to obtain ITS computer documentation and other resources. A list of relevant documents follows:

• Installing and Using Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac OS X (S4366)

The ITS Service Center provides a variety of computing help resources.

For further help with this or any other topic, call 734-764-HELP [4357] or submit an online service request.