UW students are well acquainted with flu viruses and the several pre-emptive measures the university is taking to combat them this year.

But, what about computer viruses and what you — with the help of anti-virus software — can do to prevent them?

The UW is in the process of converting from McAfee anti-virus software to Sophos anti-virus software after a request for a proposal was sent out to anti-malware vendors last spring. Sophos was selected by a multidisciplinary committee comprised of UW faculty and staff drawn from both the Seattle campus and branch campuses at Bothell and Tacoma.

The UW is recommending for students to install the software to protect themselves and the university alike because it reduces the chances of the university’s computers contracting something from a student’s computer.

“[University affiliates] are using this [software] because of [their] relationship with the university and can use it until [they] are no longer affiliated. At that time, [they] should un-install the UW-licensed software and purchase a replacement anti-virus product for [their] computer,” said Mark McNair, a manager in UW Technology Services.

In a situation where a user is contaminating many other computers with a virus, UW Security Operations may shut down a UW NetID, said senior Torin Jacobson, UW NetID lead.

Sophos, a multi-national company with offices and research labs around the globe, was chosen because it is well established, provides cross-platform support for Windows, Apple and Linux, and has experience working with campuses like the UW with comparable medical centers, said Sandra McGowan, a technology manager in UW Technology Services. The UW currently uses a Sophos product to scan e-mail as it arrives at the UW.

According to UW Security Operations, 10-15 percent of campus computers are infected at any given time.

“The industry thinks that 80 percent of home computers are infected, so the infection rate should be lower for the computers on campus that are managed,” said Rebecca Galloway, technology manager.

McAfee has been the provider for the UW for nearly the last decade, McGowan said. Its contract runs out in March 2010. McAfee had a chance to respond to the proposal as well as the other vendors.

“Over time, folks started feeling like it was time to look around. … Demands for security increased, and it had been awhile since we had looked,” said McGowan of the decision to look for other vendors.

While it is important to have reliable anti-virus software, McGowan said it can only protect if it is used properly.

“It is like locking your car doors,” she said. “It is safe if you use it, but only if you use it correctly.”

She also emphasized the importance of safe computing practices like not opening attachments or e-mails from unknown addresses, properly installing all updates, and only using downloads from sources you trust.

Sophos does not preclude getting viruses completely, as no system can, but keeping anti-virus software installed is critical, McGowan said. New viruses are discovered daily and cannot be detected until the system is aware. Because of this, it is important to keep anti-virus software updated. The Sophos software will automatically check for and install updates published by Sophos; by default, it makes this check every hour.

The Sophos Web site provides users with a virus “threat spotlight” to see “what’s hot,” McNair said.

The Computer Vet program provides tools and guidance to clients for cleaning and securing their Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista computers.

“It is the job of the university to keep you and your data safe,” McGowan said. “The benefit is that this software is free and available for you to use. It will help keep your data and the university system secure.”

Reach contributing writer Kaetlyn Cordingley at news@dailyuw.com.