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Anti-Virus Software

Frequently Asked Questions about the transition from Symantec

General Questions

Why did the university decide to switch away from Symantec?

We made this decision because licensing costs for Symantec were considered to be prohibitive, and there are less expensive options on the market that provide quality anti-virus protection.

I installed Norton anti-virus software from BevoWare. Am I affected?

Yes. Norton was a product line covered by the Symantec license agreement.

How do I get the new software?

Why aren't you providing firewall software anymore?

The firewall software provided by current operating systems (Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5, Windows XP and VIsta) is recommended by the Information Security Office. Because these products are considered effective, we did not pursue a third-party firewall product license for campus.

Can I run the old and new anti-virus software on the same computer? 

You should not run two different anti-virus products at the same time because different anti-virus products conflict when they are installed on the same system and can cause you serious problems. The instructions provide you with the information you need to ensure that you have completely uninstalled Symantec.

When should I change to the new product?

All Symantec/Norton software that was provided by the university must be uninstalled by September 23, 2009. If you have technical support staff who manages your computer for you, your computer will be migrated for you.

If you have a home machine that you manage yourself, ITS recommends that you switch as soon as possible for a couple of reasons:

  • Beat the rush! We anticipate that a lot of people (being human) will wait until the last minute. The last minute, in this case, hits around the time when everyone is coming back from school. The Help Desk is usually extra busy during that time of year, and if you need help, you may find you have to wait a little longer than usual.
  • There's no time like the present! Do it while you're thinking about it so you don't forget and stop receiving updates to your anti-virus software when the Symantec license expires.

Mac OS X Computers

Why should I replace Symantec/Norton with ClamXav?

Our Information Security Officer has found the effectiveness of ClamXav to be equal to that of Symantec/Norton and has therefore recommended it as a replacement.

I run Mac OS X 10.3 or earlier. Why aren't you offering an anti-virus product for my OS?

ITS recommends that you upgrade to the most current, supported version of the operating system so that you will continue to receive security updates from Apple. New exploits are always discovered, and your computer won't be protected.

If there is some reason that you can't upgrade, the ClamXav site has versions of software that may work for your version of the operating system. Because those versions are not supported by the developer, ITS is not publishing them on BevoWare.

Windows Computers

I installed Forefront Client Security on Windows XP Home Edition, but the Security Center thinks I don't have anti-virus software installed. Is my computer really protected?

Yes! Forefront Client Security works on Windows XP Home Edition. However, you must open the Security Center and select the option that you are manually monitoring it to get the alerts to go away.

I have a Windows 64-bit system. Which client should I download from BevoWare?

You should select the Windows XP-64-bit OS and download that client. It will run on XP, Vista, and Windows 7 64-bit systems.