Sophos Anti-Virus Software

Sophos software is available free to all UA students, faculty and staff. Here are the three things you need to do:

1. Install Sophos: this CCIT website is where you get the software.

2. Enable Sophos: see below.

3. Sophos Remote Update: From this CCIT webpage, get Sophos to automatically update its virus identification files.

(Note: You should also set up Windows Update to run automatically, so that critical security patches to Windows will be downloaded and installed as soon as they become available.)

Enable Sophos:

When Sophos is first installed, the default install setting is to do nothing except warn you about viruses. You must modify it to eradicate viruses. There are three modes in which it runs: Immediate, which is when you tell it to scan for viruses right now, Scheduled, which is where you set it up to scan on a schedule (like once a day), and IC Client (Inter-Check Client) which is a task that always runs in the background and should pick up most new viruses immediately.

You have to modify the settings on ALL THREE of these! And for "Immediate" you need to modify both using the "hammer and wrench" (Configuration) button, and using the Edit button.

When you start Sophos, select one of the three tabs. Here are the recommended settings:

"Immediate" – select your hard drive at the left, then click Edit.
Edit Immediate:
   File Types: Executables
   Check the "subfolders" box
   Click OK
Then, click the "hammer and wrench" (Configuration)
   Mode
      Scanning Level: Full
      Priority: Normal
      Check: Scan inside archive files
   Action
      Disinfect documents and programs
      Check "infected files" and select "delete" or "shred."

Scheduled: update this if you want to have Sophos run automatically, like once a day (a good idea).

The options for this are identical under both Edit or "hammer and wrench" so choose either one.

File List
    Make sure your hard drive appears on this list. Click "Edit" and check "File Type: Executables" and check the "subfolders" check box.
   Time: select the date and time to run the automatic scan.
   Mode:
      Scanning Level: Full
      Priority: Normal
      Check: "Scan inside archive files"
   Action
      Disinfect documents and programs
      Check "infected files" and select "delete" or "shred."

IC Client: click on the "hammer and wrench" icon, then use the following settings:
Mode:
   Scanning Level: Full
   Check: "Scan inside archive files"
Action
   Disinfect documents and programs
   Check "infected files" and select "delete" or "shred."
Check
      Check files:
          check "Defined in executables list"
          check "Automatically detected as executable type"
      when: check "On read"
      Removable media: check "Check boot sectors when disk first accessed"