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Clark University
Office of
Information Technology Services

Clark University ITS provides access to Sophos Home, an antivirus (AV) software, for personally-owned computers. Sophos Home can be installed by students, staff or faculty on any personally-owned computer that is being used to connect to the campus network or other campus resources.

Sophos Home, like other AV software is designed to detect and remove viruses from computers. AV software can also protect against a wide variety of other threats, including keyloggers, browser hijackers, trojan horses, spyware, adware, ransomware, and others.

Installing Sophos Home

Clark University Community members can create a Sophos Home (Commercial Edition) account for free. This account will allow you to install and manage AV software on any personally-owned device (Windows or Mac) that you may use to access Clark resources.

Please note that Sophos Home should not be installed on ITS-managed devices.

Click here to visit request your Clark University’s Sophos registration. You must use your Clark email address to receive the registration link.

Step 2: Create your Sophos Home Account

Using the link emailed to your Clark email account (click here to quickly access your Clark email), create a Sophos Home account. You can use your Clark email to create the account, or a personal email if you’d prefer.

If you already have a Sophos Home account, you can use the coupon code in the email to receive Clark University’s Premium features.

Step 3: Download and Install Sophos

(Before installing Sophos, you should uninstall any other AV software – including other versions of Sophos – that may be on your computer.)

Following the instructions in the Sophos Home portal, download and install the software on any device that you may use to access Clark resources.

Sophos provides extensive documentation, support and troubleshooting on their website.

Get av for your personal computer av on clark-owned computers

FAQ’s

Why do I need AV on my device?

As members of the Clark community, we are all responsible for the security of any personally-owned computer that will be connected to Clark resources, or the campus network. Therefore, you must take reasonable precautions, including running antivirus software and keeping the software up-to-date. Additionally, in order to register and connect any device to the Clark network (either wired or Wi-Fi), your device must have an up-to-date, active antivirus installed.

To support this responsibility, Clark University provides access to Sophos Home for all students, staff and faculty to install on personal computers.

Beyond installing AV, it is very important that you keep your software up-to-date. By default, Sophos will update automatically, and very regularly (often daily). However, if you see that your Sophos icon is orange, or is giving pop-ups, make sure that your software is updated, and no additional action is needed.

Can I just get an installer from the Help Desk?

Creating a personal account with Sophos Home is the easiest, and quickest way to get the most up-to-date version of the Sophos software for a range of devices. The Help Desk no longer distributes the Sophos installer, but can support you in creating your account, and installing the software from the Sophos Home website.

How Do I Run A Scan?

Sophos Home will continually monitor your device for threats. However, if you’re concerned, you can instigate a scan. Click here to access Sophos’s Support Site for information on how to run a scan.

Do I have to use Sophos as my antivirus software?

While you may use choose to use another AV software to protect your device, most community members choose Sophos Home for the premium features offered with Clark’s license, and for the support the ITS Help Desk can offer with installation and scans.

Should you decide to use another AV, the ITS Help Desk may be limited in our ability to support that product. Additionally, it will be your responsibility to keep your AV software up-to-date.

I forgot my Sophos Home password. How do I reset it?

To reset your Sophos Home password, visit the Sophos Home Sign In page, and click the Forgot Password link. The Clark University Help Desk does not have access to this password, or the ability to reset it.

Contact Information

ITS Help Desk

Office Location

1-508-793-7745

helpdesk@clarku.edu

Academic Commons, Plaza Level

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