Malware Protection

Overview

Notice of Software Expiry!
UBC currently offers Sophos Antivirus free of charge to UBC students and employees, however UBC’s license agreement with Sophos expires on July 29, 2020.

To avoid the possibility of being without malware protection please read the guidance on this page.

 

Why is malware protection software necessary?

Malware protection software (also known as antivirus software) is an important tool to help prevent cyberattacks. In fact, UBC’s Information Security Standard #7 (Securing Computing and Mobile Storage Devices/Media) requires that computing devices used for University Business must have up-to-date antivirus and spyware cleaning software installed, and configured to update at least once per day.

Not every type of cyberattack can be prevented with malware protection software, but it can be a great asset when trying to prevent intrusion into a computer.

At a minimum, malware protection software should provide the following protection:

  • Antivirus – Protects against computer viruses, or attacks that mean to damage a computer.
  • Rootkit protection – Prevents rootkits, which are imbedded deep inside a computer in order to mask other malware, from establishing in a computer.
  • Bot protection – Alerts a user when a cybercriminal is attempting to remotely take over a computer.
  • Worm protection – Prevents worm attacks, which carry malware over the network to be deposited onto other computers.
  • Trojan horses – Warns when malware is detected within a Trojan horse file.
  • Spyware – Detects when a computer has been infected with spyware, or software that’s meant to either collect data of usage or steal information.
  • Messaging protection – Warns users when messages such as instant messages or e-mails contain dangerous attachments or fraudulent links.
  • Recovery tool - A recovery system that will help rid a computer of any malware that passed through its defenses.

Getting Started

For Staff & Faculty with devices managed by UBC

This section applies to you, if you are a UBC employee and you are:

  • Using a computer which is centrally managed by UBC IT.
  • Using a computer which is managed by Faculty or Department IT.

If you are a UBC employee using a device that is managed by UBC, UBC IT Desktop Services or your local IT support/Edge Administrator has ensured that the device you are using already has a secure malware protection solution installed. Your malware protection software updates automatically and requires no action on your part to keep your device compliant with UBC’s Information Security Standard #7.

You can access the Confidential Communications website for more information on UBC’s recommended malware protection solution.


For Staff & Faculty with devices NOT managed by UBC

This section applies to you, if you are a UBC employee and you are:

  • Using a computer which is owned by UBC, but you manage yourself.
  • Using a computer which is personally owned by you, but you use the computer for University Business.

If you are a UBC employee using your own device for University Business (Bring Your Own Device or BYOD) you are eligible to have your local IT Support Staff help you install a secure malware protection solution. Contact the UBC IT Service Centre or your local IT Support Staff for more information. You can also access the Confidential Communications website (campus-wide login required) for more information on the malware protection options available to you and your IT administrators.

Alternatively, you can manually install your own malware protection software. If you decide to install your own software, ensure it is purchased/downloaded from a reputable source, and that the following features are enabled:

  • Regular updates with new signature files;
  • Scanning for all files;
  • Real-time protection;
  • Scheduled system scans; and
  • Alerting.

As a reminder, UBC’s Information Security Standard #7 (Securing Computing and Mobile Storage Devices/Media) requires that computing devices used for University Business must have up-to-date antivirus and spyware cleaning software installed, and configured to update at least once per day.
A list of some popular no-cost antivirus programs is provided below.



For Students & non-employee affiliates

This section applies to you if you are:

  • A UBC employee with a computer which is personally owned by you and is not used for UBC University Business.
  • UBC students with a computer which is personally owned by you.
  • A non-employee member of the UBC community with a computer which is personally owned by you.

If you fit one of the above descriptions and you wish to install malware protection, you must manually install your own malware protection software to your device.

Ensure the software you choose is purchased/downloaded from a reputable source, and that the following features are enabled:

  • Regular updates with new signature files;
  • Scanning for all files;
  • Real-time protection;
  • Scheduled system scans; and
  • Alerting.

As a reminder, UBC’s Information Security Standard #7 (Securing Computing and Mobile Storage Devices/Media) requires that computing devices used for University Business must have up-to-date antivirus and spyware cleaning software installed, and configured to update at least once per day.

A list of some popular no-cost antivirus programs is provided below.



Popular no-cost antivirus programs

Below is a list of some popular no-cost antivirus programs. This list is provided as reference only as UBC IT cannot provide support for these products. As well, this list is by no means comprehensive as there may be many other antivirus programs that may work for your system which are not listed.


Preferred alternatives


Other popular free antivirus programs (in alphabetical order)



Other Valuable Security Steps

While having malware protection software is an important step in keeping your computer protected, there are still some other things that you can do to keep your computer safe.

Please visit the Privacy Matters @ UBC website for further information.

Support