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Endpoint Protection

Endpoint Management Services provides centralized management of University desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. A big focus of Endpoint Management Services is Endpoint Protection, which means keeping University devices safe from malicious attacks. 

How will Endpoint Management keep my devices safe? 

To keep University endpoints protected against viruses and other malicious software, Endpoint Management Services will automatically install on your devices the antivirus software Palo Alto Cortex XDR. This software is required on all University endpoints, including desktops, laptops and servers. 

What is Palo Alto Cortex XDR?  

Palo Alto Cortex XDR is more advanced than a traditional antivirus solution. Cortex is an extended detection and response app that uses real-time detection to respond to malware and other sophisticated attacks while preventing malicious software from running on devices. Note that on July 1, 2020, Palo Alto Cortex XDR replaced Symantec as the University's antivirus solution for endpoint protection. 

You will know that you have Cortex on your devices by the small shield icon – with a green checkmark on Windows or interlocking circles on macOS – in your desktop taskbar 

If your college or department is using the centrally provided endpoint management tools, your devices should already have Cortex XDR installed.  If you have not opt-ed into endpoint management, or if you are not sure your device is using the centrally provided tools, please reach out to your IT support team to discuss your options.

What do I need to do to get Cortex? 

If your college or department is using the centrally provided endpoint management tools, your devices should already have Cortex XDR installed.  If you have not opt-ed into endpoint management, or if you are not sure your device is using the centrally provided tools, please reach out to your IT support team to discuss your options. You may also reach out to your campus Help Desk for assistance. 

Is it safe for me to have this software on my computer? 

Yes. Cortex XDR is intended to protect you and the information on your devices. ITS will not collect any information about users from this software. 

How can I protect my personally owned computer?

While ITS does not provide direct support for personally owned devices, it is highly recommended that all faculty, staff and students download a free, University-provided personal version of Cortex for use on home computers. 

To download Cortex XDR by Palo Alto for personal devices, go to your campus' SharePoint folder. Additional installation instructions can be found below. 

NU ITS encourages you to always use University-owned devices to conduct University business.

Windows Instructions

Uninstalling third-party antivirus products is recommended before installing and configuring these security tools.

Before you begin: These instructions and the provided installer are intended for personally owned devices. If you have a University-owned device, please contact your IT support person or the Help Center at support@nebraska.edu.

First, to download the correct installer for your computer, determine whether your computer is running on 32bit or 64bit.

1. Open the "About" system setting by right clicking the Start button and selecting "System"

2. Under "Device specifications" in "About", look for your version under "System type"

To Install Cortex XDR:

1. After the file has been downloaded, double click to run

2. It will unzip the files and start the install

3 After the installation is complete, restart your computer

To Enable Defender Quick Scans on Windows 10:

1. In the Windows search bar type "Virus & threat protection" and open the resulting Virus & threat protection system settings

2. Click on "Windows Defender Antivirus options".

3. Toggle Periodic Scanning "On" and click "Yes" on the resulting User Account Control prompt from Windows.

macOS Instructions

Uninstalling third-party antivirus products is recommended before installing and configuring these security tools.

Before you begin: These instructions and the provided installer are intended for personally owned devices. If you have a University-owned device, please contact your IT support person or the Help Center at support@nebraska.edu.

Step 1: Install the Cortex XDR agent software

  1. Download Mac version of Cortex XDR

  2. Double click the zip to extract the folder.

  3. Then double click "Cortex XDR.pkg" to start the install. This package must remain in the same folder as the "Config.xml" file for the installation to complete successfully.

  4. If presented with the message: "Installer would like to access files in your Downloads folder." select "OK"

 

Step 2: (macOS 10.15 or later) Approve Cortex XDR System Extensions

  1. When installing the Cortex XDR agent on a Mac running macOS 10.15.4 or later, this warning displays twice: first for the Security Extension and then for the Network Extension. However, in both warnings, the operating system displays System Extension Blocked. Select “Open Security Preferences”



  2. In System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, click “Details”.



  3. Select both Cortex XDR System Extensions and click “OK” to allow them. Ignore the message informing that “The system needs to be restarted before it can be used” since this step is not required.



  4. (macOS 10.15.4 or later) Approve Cortex XDR Web Content Filter. Click “Allow” to enable the Cortex XDR agent to monitor network events.

 

 

Step 3: (macOS 10.15 or later) Grant full disk access.

Due to changes in the security settings of macOS 10.15, you must allow the Cortex XDR agent full disk access on your endpoint to enable full protection. If you do not authorize the agent full disk access on your endpoint, the agent provides only partial protection of files in the /Applications directory.

  1. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy tab, and select “Full Disk Access”.

  2. To make changes, click the padlock icon on the bottom left and enter your credentials, and Unlock.

  3. Check the box next to “pmd” and “TrapsSecurityExtension”.



Linux Instructions

Uninstalling third-party antivirus products is recommended before installing and configuring these security tools.

Before you begin: These instructions and the provided installer are intended for personally owned devices. If you have a University-owned device, please contact your IT support person or the Help Center at support@nebraska.edu.

Note: Cortex XDR is currently supported on the following Linux distributions: Amazon 2, Redhat 7, Redhat 8, Ubuntu 14, Ubuntu 16, Ubuntu 18, Ubuntu 12, Centos 7, Centos 8, Debian 9, Oracle 7, Oracle 6, Oracle 8, Suse 15, Suse 12. For more information, see: Cortex XDR for Linux Requirements. 

1. Download the Cortex XDR Linux installer script.

2. Open a Terminal window and change your directory to the location of the install script. Example: cd ~/Downloads

3. With elevated privileges, run the script. Example: sudo sh Personal_Cortex_702_Linux.sh

Endpoint Management

Help Desk Contact Information

Kearney: 308-865-8363
Lincoln: 402-472-3970
Omaha: 402-554-4357

support@nebraska.edu

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