Antivirus Policy

The purpose of this policy is to prevent network and virus-related problems to computers and the network of the Skills Ontario Competition. Viruses can disable or degrade the performance of the network.

This policy covers all computer and communication devices owned by staff, students, or visitors of Skills Ontario Competition.

Individuals using personal computers at Skills Ontario Competition MUST BE USING ACTIVE Antivirus and Anti-Malware software installed and updated with current virus definitions. "Current definitions" are defined as protection definitions acquired from the software manufacturer not more than a few weeks old.

A free antivirus program such as Windows Security or Avast is an example.

NOTE: If you are connecting a brand-new computer to Skills Ontario Competition, please be aware that most hardware providers (Dell, Lenovo, HP, etc.) will usually provide you with a 90-day trial version of an antivirus software program. After the initial 90-day trial period expires, you will need to purchase the software.

As you are probably aware, new viruses are discovered almost every day. Following this policy will reduce the chance of you getting a computer virus affecting Skills Ontario Competition for the rest of the users, and/or having I.T. remove your access to Skills Ontario Competition.

Spyware Information

Spyware (sometimes called adware or malware) is any software program that installs itself and runs in the background of a computer while using an internet connection without the knowledge and/or permission of the user. Other related software which can do harm to your computer are known as Datamining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, Keyloggers, selected traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components.

Spyware can be removed by downloading, installing, and using spyware removal programs available from the internet or can be purchased through a local retail store. Just like antivirus software, In order for a spyware removal tool to be effective the user must regularly check for and update the spyware definition files. Simply running the un-install program or removing known spyware from Add/Remove programs in Control Panel isn't enough.

I.T. recommends the use of these free programs such as Windows Defender, Avast and AVG Anti-Virus for removing spyware. These programs are available through their respective web sites.