Security Tools
Anti-Malware Software
As a faculty, staff, or student of UMass Boston, you are eligible for a free copy of Sophos Intercept X. For details, see:
https://www.umb.edu/it/security/antivirus
If you are no longer an active student of staff member, you have several Free Anti-Malware Options.
Your PC or Android device should be protected against malicious software, including viruses and spyware. If your device is infected, your risk identity theft, and your device could be barred from the UMass Boston network. Note that IT Services does NOT support anti-malware tools for students or remove malware from personally owned devices.
VPN
All faculty, staff, and students can use our VPN for academic purposes. This will secure your network traffic if you are using a public Wifi network. See our:
Check for Updates
The Qualys browser check will let you know if your operating system, browser, or plugins are out of date. To use is, see
Scan Your Computer / Safe Computing Tips
Data Encryption
Both macOS and Windows come with tools to encrypt your data. See:
https://www.umb.edu/it/security/encryption
Note that IT Services does not support data encryption tools for students.
CloudPC
CloudPC is a virtual Windows PC in the cloud that's always up to data and encrypted. See:
https://www.umb.edu/it/cloudpc
Free Anti-Malware Options
Following are some anti-malware tools individuals can download for free for use on personally owned computers:
- Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
- Avast! Free anti-virus
- AVG Free edition
- Microsoft Security Essentials
If you think you might be infected, Malwarebytes is one of the best malware removal tools. However, it does not run in the background to protect you, as the products listed above do.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/
If you want to scan your PC with nothing on the PC running — very useful for removing malware — you want a product you can boot the PC with. Both of these products allow you to create a bootable USB drive with their products on them.
If you suspect a root kit but nothing is found by Malwarebytes, try aswMBR from Avast. It is a command-line based tool, so it is not for the faint of heart!
Mac users can also install one of these options if they choose:
Please note that IT Services does not support these products.