Students, faculty and staff can now get free antivirus software from UNM's Information Technology Services.
The software, Symantec Endpoint Protection, can be downloaded from the ITS Web site. The software will not expire as long as the user is affiliated with the University, said Michael Carr, director of Information Assurance.
Carr said it is University policy to have antivirus software for every computer that uses the UNM network.
Until now, it has been up to colleges, departments and students to get antivirus software on their own, Carr said.
"We had a hodgepodge of different software trying to do the same thing," he said.
Carr said it is a worthwhile investment for the University to make an agreement with Symantec to provide software for everyone.
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Junior Gianna Cavuoto said she has free antivirus software from the university she transferred from.
"I had no idea. If I knew how to get it I would love to use it," she said.
Symantec is downloadable from its.unm.edu, said Vanessa Baca, ITS spokeswoman.
A NetID and password are required to download the software, she said.
Symantec works with Windows, Mac OSX and Linux.
Carr said members of the UNM community should remove any antivirus software they have on their computers before installing Symantec.
"If you have more than one antivirus running at once, it can screw up your computer," he said.
Carr said the software is beneficial because it comes with good technical support. ITS will answer questions and provide assistance to users who need it.
The Symantec software will also be available to students, faculty and staff on their home computers.
Junior Catherine Conner said she already has antivirus software and is not likely to download the program to her home computer or laptop.
"If they give free stuff away, I don't usually know or care," Conner said.
Senior Olivia Lear said she didn't know the software was available but is glad it is.
"School is just so expensive. Anything that's free and can help you, especially with the computer, really helps," she said.
Lear said she will download the software if it is better than the antivirus system she already has.
Potential users curious about Symantec and its features can log on to the Frequently Asked Questions page on the ITS Web site, Baca said. They can also call the ITS support center if they have questions or problems.
"We want to encourage students to download the software and take an active role in protecting their computers and the UNM network," she said.
