What is Malware?
- Malware (sometimes called spyware) refers to hostile or intrusive software, including computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, scareware, and other malicious programs.
- It can take the form of executable code, scripts, active content, and other software.
- Malware may cause your computer to be unresponsive and potential loss or theft of personal and university information.
- There are products available, many of which are free, which will help control malware on your machine.
How should I protect my computer against malware?
For student and personally owned computers:
IT services recommends the use of the built-in security in your PC or Mac.
- Windows Computers –
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
- Windows Firewall and Network Protection.
- Protect against malware in Windows
- Mac Computers –
- Gatekeeper, Notarization, and XProtect.
- MacOS Firewall.
- Protecting against malware in MacOS
- Malwarebytes may be useful as an additional anti-malware tool, but must be used according to its license.
For university owned computers:
- IT Services provides Malware protection on all university owned computers.
Tips to Avoid Malware
- Make sure the latest security updates ae applied to your computer.
- You should only download programs from reputable sites.
- Identify and avoid suspicious links on social media and other websites.
- Be careful when clicking links or opening attachments in email.