It is a requirement of the University of Otago that all computers connecting to the University networks have up-to-date antivirus software installed and working.
University-owned computers use Microsoft Defender Antivirus and this is managed by ITS. For personally owned computers, Windows 10 and 11 come with Microsoft Defender Antivirus. Other operating systems such as Mac and Linux will need to have a separate antivirus software application installed.
You should only use one licensed antivirus software application on your computer. Using multiple antivirus software applications will not increase security and can reduce your computer's performance significantly due to conflicts.
Antivirus software is also recommended for mobile devices.
There is no official University-recommended antivirus for mobile devices, however iOS devices are secured by default and both iOS and Android users may use Microsoft Defender. Staff and students can directly install the app from the Apple app store and Google Play.