While no antivirus software is perfect, they are effective at stopping a variety of malicious attacks on your computer. Antivirus software is required for any device running on the UC San Diego network, including personal devices.
UC San Diego-Owned Devices (Faculty and Staff Only)
Check with your local IT support to find out what antivirus software is available to you. If you do not have local IT support, Sophos Endpoint Protection Enterprise is available at no cost for all university-owned devices. To receive assistance with Sophos, contact
Personal Devices (All UC San Diego Community members)
UC San Diego students, staff, and faculty have several options to receive free antivirus software for their personal devices. IT Services Security recommends using Sophos.
If you cannot run Sophos on your device, IT Services Security recommends you select an antivirus solution from a major vendor, such as Microsoft, Symanetc, or McAfee.
ADVISORY: Kaspersky Labs security software banned in UC System
Based on publicly available information, insight from other resources, and the actions of federal and state governments, the University of California took action to mitigate potential risk posed by the use of Kaspersky Lab products. In October 2017, Kaspersky-branded technologies, security software, and technologies with Kaspersky embedded code were banned within the UC System. In 2018, Federal grants began requiring certification that the campus network is free of Kaspersky products. It cannot be overstated that protecting our ability to accept Federal grants is highly significant. The campus offers Sophos traditional antivirus software (and SentinelOne advanced anti-malware software, for departmental use) at no cost as an alternative for our community.