Antivirus at PSU: CrowdStrike Falcon
CrowdStrike Falcon is PSU’s next-generation antivirus/anti-malware solution for endpoint and server threat detection and response, automatically deployed to all OIT managed faculty and staff computers. CrowdStrike Falcon is a lightweight agent running in the background to detect and quarantine malicious activity without user interaction. Unlike our previous solution Trellix (formerly McAfee), you will not see a system tray icon to indicate that it is installed. The steps below will help you determine if it is installed on your system and how to access it.
For information on antivirus/anti-malware solutions for personal systems, refer to our larger discussion of Antivirus Software.
How to Determine if CrowdStrike Falcon is Installed
macOS
On macOS systems, you will find the Falcon.app in the Applications folder. The app will not launch, but its presence indicates that it is installed. The application can also be found via Search and should read “Falcon.app” via screen reader.
If you are prompted to Allow or Deny the installation of Falcon on your macOS system, please select Allow.
Windows
CrowdStrike Falcon on Windows has no user-facing applications or shortcuts. To determine if it is installed and running properly, open Virus & threat protection in Windows Security.
Pop-up Notifications
You may receive a pop-up notification if CrowdStrike detects an issue or a file scan is initiated. Periodic file scans are routine and can be safely ignored.
No action is necessary unless:
You are still experiencing a related issue
You need a file restored that has been quarantined
You need to request an exception for a legitimate application that is being blocked or quarantined
To report an issue, contact the OIT Help Desk.
How to Initiate an On-Demand Scan
Windows
Right-click on the desired file or folder in File Explorer
If you are on Windows 11, select Show more options
Select the CrowdStrike Falcon malware scan menu option
Select Scan
macOS
On-demand scanning is not yet available on macOS but is coming soon.