ITS will soon be deploying McAfee's Host Intrusion Prevention system (HIPS) and SiteAdvisor protection tools to most faculty and staff college-owned Windows XP computers. HIPS is designed to block system-level processes that are known to be associated with malicious computer behavior. SiteAdvisor is designed to block websites that are known to distribute malicious software.
The new software will be installed automatically on most faculty and staff Windows computers, including remote campuses, starting on 11/15/10. Exceptions include lab and eClassroom computers, as well as computers that are running Deep Freeze.
The installation will cause a few-second interruption to the computer's network connectivity. This will cause Oracle Calendar, AIM and other services to drop briefly. AIM should reconnect automatically, while Calendar will need to be relaunched manually. The installations will be staggered over a period of days so all computers will not get the software on 11/15.
HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention system)
After the HIPS software is installed, you'll likely not notice anything at all, as it works like an extension of anti-virus software to silently block harmful processes that are detrimental to your computer. Whereas anti-virus software protects against specific, known viruses, HIPS can protect against a wider range of threats by blocking processes that exhibit virus/attack behavioral characteristics.
SiteAdvisor
SiteAdvisor will be more visible. You'll know the software has been installed when you open either Internet Explorer or Firefox, as you'll see a new McAfee tab in the toolbar. The tab color will either be green, yellow or red to indicate the rating* of the website you are visiting. When doing a web search, the search results page will also show rating indicators next to each result. If you click a link with a red icon next to it, you will see a "this site is blocked" message and you will not be able to access the site. If a website is blocked the McAfee tab will turn red and you can click the tab to read the site report.
*It's important to understand that SiteAdvisor is not like a "parental control" and does not evaluate or rate site content. SiteAdvisor will not block a site because the content is deemed "inappropriate". It will only block a site that is known to distribute adware, spyware or other potentially unwanted or harmful programs.
ITS is confident that these new tools will bring an added layer of protection to our computers, thus minimizing downtime and disruptions due to viruses and malware.
ITS Helpdesk
607-274-1000
helpdesk@ithaca.edu
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20101014113221308