MSU-Northern ITS: IT Security

Information Technology Services: Virus Protection

All computers on campus must have anti-virus software installed. This includes personal computers in the residence halls. Even if it was not a requirement, having anti-virus software is simply a good idea. A virus scanner is your first line of defense against malicious viruses that can damage the files, software, and hardware on your computer.

E-mail Virus Protection at Northern

Northern runs virus protection software on our spam blocking appliance and on our email server. All email is scanned for viruses before it is delivered to your computer.

When a virus is discovered in an email, the systems will attempt to remove it and if it cannot be removed, the attachment will be deleted. You will receive the disinfected email along with a message explaining the action that was taken and requesting that you notify the sender that a virus was received along with their email. If you send an email that has an infected file attached to it, you will also receive notice that this has happened.

This is a totally automated process and does not impact the security or confidentiality of your email communications.

Desktop Virus Protection at Northern

Just because we have these email protection measures in place it does not eliminate the need for virus protection on the desktop! New unidentified viruses can slip through and there are other possible sources of infection beside email, such as USB drives, file sharing and just surfing the Internet. It is critical to keep all desktop virus protection software up-to-date and to be cautious of activities that could result in infection. Your virus protection should never be turned off!

MSU-Northern has a software license program with McAfee®. This program covers all University owned or leased computers: faculty, staff, and all open access computer lab machines.

Students may purchase a copy from the Bookstore at a nominal cost. (Faculty/staff owned or leased machines are not included in this program)

Please contact the ITS Help Desk if McAfee VirusScan is not installed or not functioning on your machine. You can tell if VirusScan is installed by looking at your taskbar at the bottom of your screen. On the right hand side, a shield icon with a red "V" should appear:

More information about viruses and other types of threats can be found on the Types of Threats page.

Help! I think my computer is infected!

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Quick Links Help Desk - 3765 ITS Home IT Security Services Information About... Site Index In this section... IT Security Stay Updated! Passwords Data Security Firewalls Virus Protection Help! I think I'm infected! While Traveling... Types of Threats E-mail Safety & Spam Phishing Identity Theft Malware Web Surfing Safely Social Networks Online Harassment Copyrights & Peer-to- Peer (P2P) Applications Related Links (external) MSU Security Web Site Help Desk MSU-Northern students, faculty and staff - Use the ITS Help Desk as the first point of contact for your technology problems, questions & services! Information Technology Services Help Desk Walk-in Support: Cowan Hall 117B Telephone Support: 265-3765 E-Mail Support: itstech Report Security Incidents Report stolen devices (laptops, PDAs, etc) and suspected computer break-ins to ITS immediately. The sooner we know about an incident, the sooner we can respond, potentially limiting any damage. Last Updated: 19-Jun-2009
	Information Technology Services: Virus Protection All computers on campus must have anti-virus software installed. This includes personal computers in the residence halls. Even if it was not a requirement, having anti-virus software is simply a good idea. A virus scanner is your first line of defense against malicious viruses that can damage the files, software, and hardware on your computer. E-mail Virus Protection at Northern Northern runs virus protection software on our spam blocking appliance and on our email server. All email is scanned for viruses before it is delivered to your computer. When a virus is discovered in an email, the systems will attempt to remove it and if it cannot be removed, the attachment will be deleted. You will receive the disinfected email along with a message explaining the action that was taken and requesting that you notify the sender that a virus was received along with their email. If you send an email that has an infected file attached to it, you will also receive notice that this has happened. This is a totally automated process and does not impact the security or confidentiality of your email communications. Desktop Virus Protection at Northern Just because we have these email protection measures in place it does not eliminate the need for virus protection on the desktop! New unidentified viruses can slip through and there are other possible sources of infection beside email, such as USB drives, file sharing and just surfing the Internet. It is critical to keep all desktop virus protection software up-to-date and to be cautious of activities that could result in infection. Your virus protection should never be turned off! MSU-Northern has a software license program with McAfee®. This program covers all University owned or leased computers: faculty, staff, and all open access computer lab machines. Students may purchase a copy from the Bookstore at a nominal cost. (Faculty/staff owned or leased machines are not included in this program) Please contact the ITS Help Desk if McAfee VirusScan is not installed or not functioning on your machine. You can tell if VirusScan is installed by looking at your taskbar at the bottom of your screen. On the right hand side, a shield icon with a red "V" should appear: More information about viruses and other types of threats can be found on the Types of Threats page. Help! I think my computer is infected! Top of page Return to IT Security Home		It's up to you. Take these steps to help ensure the security of your identity and your computer. Security Updates Antivirus Software Firewalls Secure Passwords Malware Protection Phishing Tips Social Networking More Virus Information Additional information about viruses can be found at: McAfee Symantec Sophos F-Secure Reference Info Glossaries of virus terms: CA Global Security Advisor Sophos Internet Security & Threat Terms