If you are unsure what Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities are, please view this article.
On January 3, 2018, Microsoft released updates to address these vulnerabilities. As part of these updates, Microsoft checks for compatible antivirus software to be installed on your computer. If Microsoft sees that the antivirus is compatible, then it will set a registry key which allows this patch to install. If it doesn't see that the antivirus is compatible, it won't set the registry key and install the patch. That would keep your computer from getting Windows updates.
McAfee has verified that their products are compatible. If you're using Personal or UAH antivirus product that we make available to you through Chargerware, your computer probably received the January 3rd update and is set to receive future security updates from Microsoft. Just in case, please confirm that you’re using the DAT version 8772 (which was released on January 11, 2018). To determine which DAT version you have installed, please see this article.
If you’re not using a McAfee antivirus product provided by UAH, you should make sure you have an antivirus product that is compatible with the Microsoft updates released on January 3rd.
For more information, please review the McAfee article explaining compatibility with Microsoft's January 3rd Meltdown/Spectre updates.
Updating the registry key is tricky, so you are more than welcome to contact the OIT Help Desk if you do not feel comfortable doing this on your own. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact the OIT Help Desk at helpdesk@uah.edu.
