• QUICK LINKS
  • answers.stanford.edu
  • apple.stanford.edu
  • computing.stanford.edu
  • courses.stanford.edu
  • datarates.stanford.edu
  • dell.stanford.edu
  • departmentphone.stanford.edu
  • email.stanford.edu
  • ess.stanford.edu
  • helpsu.stanford.edu
  • myitserviceshelp.stanford.edu
  • orderithelp.stanford.edu
  • software.stanford.edu
  • studentphone.stanford.edu
  • techtraining.stanford.edu
  • tools.stanford.edu
  • unixcomputing.stanford.edu
  • vpn.stanford.edu
  • web.stanford.edu
  • windows.stanford.edu
• SERVICES
  • IT Services Only
  • All Campus Providers
    → computing.stanford.edu
• GETTING HELP
  • Stanford Answers
  • HelpSU: IT Help Desk
  • Training
• PROJECTS
• ABOUT US
  • What We Do
  • Organization Chart
  • Strategic Plan
  • Jobs
  • Contact info
  • Service & System Metrics
• INTERNAL
• SEARCH

  • Search IT Services:
     

• IT Services
• Essential Stanford Software
• Macintosh Software
• Sophos Anti-Virus Information
• Installing Sophos Anti-Virus 7

Installing Sophos Anti-Virus 7

Sophos Anti-Virus is Stanford's site-licensed anti-malware software. It can protect your computer against viruses, adware/spyware, and other malicious software.

Sophos Anti-Virus updates itself automatically so your version of the program and the virus definitions are always up-to-date.

Install Sophos Anti-Virus

1. Download the Sophos Anti-Virus installer.
   
   
2. If you downloaded the the installer using Safari, the file will mount and open automatically. If you used another browser, double-click the downloaded .dmg file and then double-click the Stanford Sophos Installer icon in the disk image window.
   
   
3. At the prompt, click Continue.
   
   
   
   
4. When the Welcome window is displayed, click Continue.
   
   
   
   
5. Click Install to start the installation.
   
   
   
   
6. Enter your administrator name and password for your computer and then click OK.
   
   
   
   
7. When the software has finished installing, click Close.
   
   
   
   
8. The Sophos Anti-Virus icon will appear in the top right corner of your screen.
   

Note: After installing Sophos Anti-Virus you should scan your hard drives(s).

::top of page

---

Scan your computer

Sophos Anti-Virus scans each file as it it accessed so it is usually not necessary to regularly scan your hard drive. However, it is recommended that you scan your hard drive after installing Sophos in order to detect any viruses and malware that may already exist on your computer.

1. Click the Sophos icon in the top right of your screen and then click Open Sophos Anti-Virus.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Scan this Mac.
   
   
   

::top of page

---

Set preferences

Sophos Anti-Virus is preconfigured with the optimal settings for on-access scanning in the Stanford environment. However, you can change the settings for your situation if you wish.

To change the default preferences:

1. Click the Sophos icon in the top right of your screen and then click Open Preferences to access the Sophos Anti-Virus preferences. (Alternately, you can launch System Preferences and click Sophos Anti-Virus in the "Other" section.)
   
   
   
   Note: Users running FileVault should turn off on-access scanning to avoid problems logging into your account. To do this, click the lock in the lower left of the window. Authenticate using your administrator name and password, uncheck the box for Enable on-access scanning, and then click the lock to prevent further changes.
   
   

::top of page

---

Excluding files from on-access scanning

The Sophos Anti-Virus installer checks for directories containing Eudora and Thunderbird data files and will exclude them from the "On Access" scan in order to prevent significant slowdowns when reading your mail (the mailbox format both programs use is susceptible to this problem; the format Apple Mail uses is not).

After installing Sophos, if you install Eudora or Thunderbird, create a new profile in Eudora or Thunderbird, or a new user begins using Eudora or Thunderbird, you can manually create this exception.

To exclude folders containing Eudora and Thunderbird data files from on-access scanning:

1. Click the Sophos icon in the top right of your screen and then click Open Preferences.
   
   
2. With the Scanning tab selected, click the arrow to open the list box and select Exclusions.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the lock in the lower left of the window.
   
   
4. Enter your administrator name and password for the computer and then click OK.
   
   
   
   
5. Click the add button to add a folder to the list of excluded items.
   
   
   
   
6. The following table shows the folders that should be excluded for each email program. Navigate to the folder that is used by your email program.
   
   

   Email Application and Protocol	Location of Folder(s) to Exclude
   Eudora POP	/Users/ user_name/Documents/Eudora Folder/Mail Folder
   Eudora IMAP	/Users/ user_name/Documents/Eudora Folder/Mail Folder /Users/ user_name/Documents/Eudora Folder/IMAP Folder
   Thunderbird POP	/Users/user_name/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/Mail
   Thunderbird IMAP	/Users/user_name/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/Mail /Users/user_name/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/ImapMail
   Note: In the Thunderbird path, xxxxxxxx is used to denote random characters.

   
   
7. When you have located the folder you want to exclude, click Choose.
   
   
   
   
8. If you are using IMAP and need to to exclude another folder, click the add button in the Preferences window, navigate to the folder you want to exclude, and click Choose in the Exclude window.
   
   
9. After you have selected all the folders you want to exclude, click the lock in the lower left of the window to prevent further changes.
   
   
   
   
10. When prompted to save the changes you made, click Save.
    
    
    
    
11. Close the Sophos Anti-Virus Preferences window.

::top of page