Anti-Virus Software

Anti-virus software (a.k.a. anti-malware) is software that scans a device for malware and attempts to quarantine or remove it. We no longer require users to have anti-virus software in order to register to the network, but it is strongly advised for all users and all types of device.

Windows computers have a native anti-virus, called Windows Defender, though Windows will disable this anti-virus if another anti-virus is detected. Macs do not come with a native anti-virus.

If your device came with a free trial version of an anti-virus like McAfee or Norton, we recommend that you either commit to using the paid version or else remove it entirely in favor of a free antivirus like Windows Defender or Sophos.

You can learn about other computer security topics at our safe computing page.

Free Anti-Virus Solutions

• Windows Defender (preinstalled on Windows computers)
• Sophos : http://home.sophos.com
• Avast : http://www.avast.com/
• Avira : http://www.avira.com/
• AVG Free : http://free.avg.com/

Paid Anti-Virus Solutions

• McAfee : http://home.mcafee.com/
• Norton/Symantec : http://us.norton.com/antivirus/
• Panda Anti-Virus : http://www.pandasecurity.com/
• Trend Micro : http://www.trendmicro.com/