Sophos Deployment

Last month we began the campus rollout of Sophos Anti-virus, which is replacing the Symantec package we have been using for the past several years. We have deployed this anti-virus solution to many Windows based systems across campus. At this point we will continue the deployment to all faculty and staff Windows and Macintosh computers.

For Windows systems this will be delivered across our network using the same mechanism that manages our Windows workstations. To facilitate this deployment we need to ask that all Windows systems be turned off on Friday nights and powered back up on Monday mornings for the next several weekends. The install packages will be pushed across the network when the system is powered back on Monday morning starting March 19th.

If you should need your system over the weekend and you are off campus there will be no impact to this update. It will resume on Monday as scheduled. If you need your computer and are connected to the campus network (other than through the VPN) you will receive the update when you power your computer on.

For the deployment of Sophos to Macintosh computers we will be leveraging a utility called Casper. Casper will allow us to seamlessly remove Symantec and install Sophos. To ensure that Sophos will be successfully installed on your Macintosh system, please install Casper prior to March 16th. For instructions on obtaining Casper please see the Casper installation page at http://go/getcasper. Please note that Casper is licensed for Middlebury-owned systems only.

For information on Sophos please see the FAQ at http://go/sophos. This will answer many questions you may have and should address any issues you may encounter. Prior to the date your system is scheduled for the Sophos install please do the following:

  • Complete any software installs you may have pending, including any Windows Updates.
  • For Macintosh computers, confirm that you have the Self Service application installed in the Application Utility
  • Disable any additional firewalls you may have added beyond the operating system specific firewall. Please note, this is not referring to anti-virus such as Symantec but rather products such as SonicWall.
  • Shut down your system the Friday before the install so that it receives the scheduled install when it powers up on Monday morning.
  • Shut down your system on Monday night (after the scheduled install has occurred).

For faculty and staff who wish to install Sophos on one of their own personal systems, Middlebury is licensed for one copy per employee for home use. To download a copy for your home system please visit the Sophos FAQ at http://go/sophos .

For additional information please see http://go/sophos

 

 

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