Up-to-date antivirus software - A component of personal IT security

In order to detect and neutralize malware – which can enter your system in many ways – you should have up-to-date antivirus software installed on each of your devices. Antivirus software scans new files (for example, attachments to emails, downloads etc.) and the entire computer for signs of infection. In order for the antivirus software to be able to detect the latest threats, it is necessary to always have the latest updates installed – be sure to enable automatic updates for your antivirus software. General information about updates and their importance can be found here .

Antivirus software is available for free and for a fee. The paid versions offer a wider range of functions compared to free ones. If you do not need these additional features, there are some good free programs. You can find more information about antivirus software and recommendations for free virus scanners on the BSI website.

Sophos available as free virus protection for TU members

For all members of TU Darmstadt the HRZ offers free of charge the antivirus software Sophos for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X. Details can be found on the HRZ website https://www.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de/antivirensoftware.

Important! Update only in the TU network

Please note that your system must be regularly in the TU Darmstadt network to receive updates. On site at the TU this is given. From outside, for example when working at home, you have to dial into the TU Darmstadt network via VPN to enable the update. If you cannot ensure this, you are currently better off with one of the common free offers, for example Windows Defender, which is pre-installed with every current Windows operating system.

Scan online for viruses multiple times

If you do not want to rely on one virus scanner alone for a file or website, you can check it by an online virus scanner, such as VirusTotal. This then checks for infection with over 50 different virus scanners. This is helpful, for example, in the case of suspicious mails (more on this in door number 13), to have attachments or URLs checked.

Important! The uploaded files must not contain any confidential or personal data.