Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Security, Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy.

Operating systems such as Windows 11 and macOS have technologies built in to help prevent virus infections and malware. If that is the case, do computers still need antivirus software? The answer is yes.

While operating systems have become more secure, they are still vulnerable to compromises, especially those that exploit the “human element.” People are fooled into downloading and installing malicious software, cookie-stealing browser extensions, or infected email attachments. They are lured to websites that compromise their privacy or steal credentials such as banking logins. Ransomware, which holds files hostage by encrypting them so they can only be unlocked if money is paid, is a growing threat.

To help the members of the Penn community better protect themselves, the University has made Sophos Home available. This software helps protect your online information and your data. It is available for both Macintosh and Windows computers free of charge to eligible active affiliates.

To find out more and install Sophos Home: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/sophos-home.

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For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the  Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead.