IT says Mandatory Antivirus Coming: Chromebooks, Linux Excluded

In today’s time, your daily lives sadly rely on the internet way too much. Unfortunately, we have evidence of this from the recent power and Wi-Fi outages we experienced at this semester’s onset. With big networks such as ours, we must be safe and protected from any possible attackers. 

Possible ways of protecting our network are already in place. This is what requires both the username and password when signing into the Eastern Full network. Even with this, there is still room for an attacker to penetrate our network, and that may be done through a virus. The best practice to prevent viruses is through antivirus protection software. 

Currently, the school does not require any type of antivirus software to connect to Eastern’s network. However, IT at Eastern recommends that all students have some sort of antivirus software on their laptops. Coming up soon, more than likely at the beginning of next school year, there will be a mandatory requirement for antivirus software implemented on any computer to connect to Eastern’s internet. You might now be thinking that you have no idea how to get antivirus software. Eastern University is requiring the use of a specific software, and they have provided the means to obtain it. In a recent interview with Eric McCloy, he said, “Carbon Black is the required A/V [Antivirus] software. A benefit for students is that Eastern provides this software free of charge for all on-campus students.” In an email from last summer, McCloy also stated that “All EU students get [antivirus] free when they connect to EU’s network. In fact, it’s a full EDR solution (Endpoint Detection and Response) using Carbon Black.” 

Eastern University sent out a link for Carbon Black installation to all incoming students. Any student who missed that email or wants a link can request one by opening a help desk ticket at https://whd.eastern.edu. Just ask for a “Carbon Black Installation Link.”

Now you might be asking yourself: will this software work on my device? Upon inquiries, this software is available for both Windows and Apple products. I further inquired for people who can only afford to have a Chromebook, and unfortunately, both Chromebooks and Linux devices will not work with the mandated software. To all who are now sad because of this, I am also mourning, as I am a big Linux user myself. For those of you using Chromebooks or Linux, McCloy did suggest a few solutions to this problem. Students have the option of ordering a Windows laptop through the bookstore. Instead of paying for it right out of their wallets, students have “the option to charge it to their student account and pay for it using their aid/loan package,” according to McCloy. They can also go to the local MicroCenter and purchase a refurbished computer for a lower cost than a completely new one. McCloy also provided another, even cheaper, solution: use one of the many public computers on Eastern’s Campus. You can find a computer at the following places, as per Eric McCloy: “The second floor of the library has 24, McInnis 319 has 9, McInnis 300 has 24 (when not in use by a class) and the 24-hour study lounge downstairs in HHC has two.”

Some of you may be wondering what will happen if your TV or gaming console does not have this software. After talking with McCloy, it does not seem apparent that any changes are going to affect your TVs or gaming consoles. McCloy said that this will be covered on their end. 

One of the last things discussed was the possibility of ethernet access in each of the dorms, and there is confirmation that if IT rolls out and new system for the network, there will be access to do school while hardwired into the network in your dorm. This means that you can use the Ethernet connections in your dorm to access the internet and increase speeds.