The migration to Microsoft Defender has been completed for most university computers. However, some university computers have been identified which still only have Sophos (our legacy security threat detection software) installed. 

To avoid potential data loss and to ensure continued security, university computers must be enrolled in the campus’ central device management and have Defender installed.   

Actions to take now

1. Check with your department IT staff or UMass Amherst IT 

If you aren't sure if university-owned computers you use are centrally managed and have Defender, check with your area's IT administrator, or contact the UMass Amherst IT Service Desk. Our installation and management of Defender utilizes our enterprise system management software (KACE, JAMF, Active Directory).  
 

2. Connect off-campus university-owned computers to VPN

To receive updates and configuration changes, regularly connect off-campus university-owned computers to the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to provide important security improvements to the campus community. 
For more information, see the Defender project webpage umass.edu/it/ms-defender-migration

Please contact your department's IT administrator or the UMass Amherst IT Service Desk with any questions.