Anti-Virus software is vital to help keep both University computers and your own personal computer secure. Sophos Anti-Virus software is the UW’s preferred choice for UW faculty, staff and students. The Sophos product suite includes stand-alone and managed anti-virus clients for all current (and many older) versions of Windows and Mac OS, and most of the popular UNIX and Linux distributions. It also provides apps for both Android and iOS based mobile devices.
You can turn tamper protection on and off for all your servers and users' computers. To do this, in Settings, open the Tamper Protection page. When tamper protection is enabled, a local administrator cannot make any of the following changes on their computer. They need the necessary password. Follow these recommendations if you are new to Sophos Firewall. You learn how to secure the access to your Sophos Firewall, test and validate it, and finally how to go live once you feel comfortable. The control center provides a single-screen snapshot of the status and health of the security system. The Home Edition of the Sophos XG Firewall features full protection for your home network, including anti-malware, web security and URL filtering, application control, IPS, traffic shaping, VPN, reporting and monitoring, and much more. Full protection for your home users and your home network Integrated, hardened Linux operating system.
Get Sophos
Sophos Anti-Virus protection is available to UW faculty, staff, students and departments. Which version of Sophos you download depends on the ownership of your computer. Choose the appropriate option:
UW-owned computers
Sophos Antivirus For Windows 10
The UW Sophos license allows UW students, faculty, and staff to download the UW’s Sophos software on University-owned computers, servers, and workstations. The software can be installed on unlimited UW-owned computers at no cost.
Get Sophos for UW-owned computers:
Note: Sophos Antivirus is now compatible with Mac OS 11 (Big Sur). You can now update your Mac OS to Big Sur to run on Sophos.
- Download Sophos after agreeing to the terms and conditions.
Your personal computer or device
UW students, faculty, and staff can get Sophos Home Premium for free on their personal computers and devices. To get Sophos Home Premium, enter your UW email address on the page linked below. You will receive an email with a coupon code and a link to register for your license and download Sophos Home Premium. You can also download basic Sophos Home instead.
Get Sophos Home Premium for your personal computer or device:
Get basic Sophos Home instead:
Departmental IT
Sophos Central, a web-based Enterprise Console, is available to UW departmental IT and system administrators to install and manage Sophos Endpoint Protection suite on their departmental computers.
Get Sophos Central:
License Details
The UW Sophos license grants faculty and staff at UW the rights to use the software on UW owned computers, servers, and workstations.
Sophos Antivirus
- There is no charge for the software.
- UW-IT administers this site license.
Sophos Home Premium (or “Sophos Home Commercial Use Edition”) is provided courtesy of Sophos to students, faculty, and staff. With an affiliated UW email address, users can get Sophos Home Premium at no cost for their personal computers and devices. This offer may end at any time and without warning. If that happens, please switch to the basic version of Sophos Home. UW employees or students interested in participating in this offer should go to Sophos Home Download Page, agree to the terms, and use their @uw.edu or @u.washington.edu email address to request a coupon code. Sophos will then send an email to that UW address with a coupon code and instructions on next steps. The UW email address is only required for receiving the coupon code–UW users are then welcome to use any email address they choose for registering their account with Sophos.
How Good Is Sophos Security
The Sophos Home Premium software listed below is for use on your personal computer and should not be installed on the UW-owned equipment. Once you have separated from the UW, you must remove the software from your computer.
Sophos Antivirus for home Windows and Macintosh computers provides the same level of protection as the UW licensed package does. The application can be installed on up to three computers. After free registration, you will get a web portal where you can monitor your devices and act on detected issues when needed. Sophos provides free Linux antivirus software. Sophos Antivirus for Linux
More information is available from Sophos:
Documentation and support
Online documentation and support
Need help?
Contact UW-IT at help@uw.edu or call 206-221-5000.