Security for Everyone

Verify Antivirus Software is Configured Properly

If you need assistance implementing this step, please contact the ITU Support Center at (703) 993-8870.

• How? The gold shield icon displayed in the lower right corner of your screen tells you that Symantec Antivirus is installed on your computer. Sometimes users or the individual that has configured your computer have removed the icon from your system tray; you can click on Start menu, select Programs, and you will see Symantec Endpoint Protection listed. A third place is to check the Control Panel under "Add/Remove Programs." If you see Symantec Endpoint Protection listed here, you can be sure it is installed on your computer.
  
  To see if your copy of Symantec Antivirus is managed or not, right click the icon on the system tray. If one of the options presented is “Update Policy," you are running the managed version.
  
  If your copy of Symantec Antivirus is unmanaged, you should configure it to check for virus definition updates on a daily basis. Go to Change Settings, then click on the “Configure Settings” button to the right of Client Management. Click on the Scheduled updates tab, and ensure that the box next to automatic updates is checked. Click on the Frequency option labeled Daily. This will set Symantec Antivirus to automatically check and download the most recent virus definition every day at the specified time. If you select "Real Time Updates," computer that is constantly on the Internet will be best protected.


• Why? If your anti-virus protection is not up to date, new viruses can infect your computer. These viruses can wipe out your hard drive. They can also spread on the network, infecting other computers and degrading network performance. The viruses will spread even after the university's anti-virus software is updated with the new virus pattern, because your computer is internal to the network and thus not scanned when it sends messages to other Mason people.