In order to ensure that Carleton's network is as secure as possible and to minimize the chance of a campus-wide infection, ITS requires that computers connected to the network be running current, regularly-updated anti-virus software.  This applies to both Windows and Mac operating systems.  Users of Mac OS often feel that they can ignore this requirement as there are few viruses which specifically target the Mac OS.  However this overlooks the fact that they can still transfer infected files and act as carriers. In the online world, running an up-to-date anti-virus application is simply part of being a good network citizen.

A computer virus (or, more accurately, Worm) typically doesn't just affect the machine that is infected. If the machine is connected to a network, the malicious software (or malware) will try to infect any number of other computers on that same network. The best defense is good anti-virus software, so Carleton provides McAfee VirusScan software and updates for free the the entire community.

If you already have anti-virus software installed, and you have a current subscription for regular updates, you can keep what you have.  However, please take careful not of the following:

• Most anti-Virus software will continue to run without a valid subscription.  However, it will no longer be updating it's virus definitions file.  The definitions file contains descriptions of known viruses and tells the software what to look for.  With hundreds if not thousands of new viruses being released every week, an out-of-date definitions file means your machine is no longer adequately protected.
• Many computers will ship with a free trial anti-virus application.  These typically pull updates for up to 90 days after which they require a paid subscription.  If you do not purchase the subscription, the software will continue to run but will be dangerously out-of-date, as noted above.

If you do not already have anti-virus software installed, or if you plan to replace your current anti-virus software, please download and install the software from one of the following links:

• McAfee VirusScan for Windows
• McAfee VirusScan for Mac

Important Note:  Before installing McAfee VirusScan, you must first uninstall any anti-virus applications already installed on your machine! Having more than one anti-virus application installed and running on the same machine will cause serious system problems, occasionally rendering the machine unusable or unable to start.