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 will use Microsoft Defender Antivirus and this will be 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.
How do I check my device's antivirus software
To check your device's antivirus software:
Windows
- Open the Control Panel and go to Programs > Programs and Features.
- Look through the list of installed programs on your computer. This will show any installed antivirus software.
- Click the small up-arrow on the bottom right of the toolbar to display the system tray. Often an installed antivirus will be shown here.
Mac
- Go to your Applications folder by opening a Finder window and clicking Applications in the left sidebar.
- Use the Search function in the Finder window to look for the names of common antivirus software applications.
Some antivirus software requires a paid subscription. If your subscription is out of date, you will need to either renew your subscription or install a free antivirus software application. A computer that has antivirus software with an expired subscription does not meet University of Otago policy for connecting to the University networks.
Also, be aware that if you have more than one antivirus software application installed and running at the same time, they will interfere with each other, and neither will work effectively. So choose your preferred one and uninstall the other.
Refer to the Wikipedia Comparison of Antivirus Software page to consider alternatives and compare different vendors and products.