Frequently Asked Questions for Software:Anti-Virus

Before you come to any conclusions, you should first diagnose whether you really have a fake anti-virus or not. You can do this by checking for some of the common clues that indicate you have a fake anti-virus:

 Do you already have a working anti-virus software program on your computer?

• Does the scanning of the "fake anti-virus" complete very quickly and report many infections that other software cannot find?
• Does the fake anti-virus use scare tactics, often in the form of persistent pop-ups, to encourage you to purchase the software immediately?
• Does the fake anti-virus alter some of the settings on your computer such as screen properties and desktop settings?
  
  

Answering "yes" to any of the above questions may indicate that the anti-virus on your computer is fake. If you would like to verify this, you may also try searching online forums for other users who encountered similar problems with the software.

If you think that you have a fake ant-virus on your computer then you should contact the ITS Help Desk as soon as possible. Do not purchase or give away any personal information to a program that you are unsure of.

The University of San Diego provides current students, staff, and faculty with a copy of Symantec Endpoint for FREE.  This software will help protect your computer from viruses and malware, and can be used as long as you are attending or working at the university. To download a copy, please visit our UNET Anti-Virus page (note: login is required for access).

While an anti-virus program is required for connecting to the Internet, we do not require that you use Symantec Endpoint.  If you prefer to use your own anti-virus, please check our list of supported anti-virus programs and see if your program is listed.