Katherine,

I know you said (1) is pretty much resolved, but I can't believe there not a single other open source software used at your University. No Firefox, Notepad++, 7-zip, Audacity, R, Git, or Zotero (just off the top of my head).

Regardless, OpenRefine doesn't use an installer. You don't need Admin rights to "install" it. What's to stop you from just downloading, unzipping and running it from wherever? That's all the Chocolatey package does (https://community.chocolatey.org/packages/openrefine) if you were to use that. It should run from a flash drive for that matter. 

Erich


On Sunday, November 30, 2025 at 22:52, Katherine O'brien eloquently inscribed:

> Hi all,
> 
> I'm trying to get approval to install OpenRefine on my university-owned
> device, but my request has been rejected due to security and management
> concerns. I'd love to hear from anyone using OpenRefine in an institutional
> context. How do you or your IT department manage it?
> 
> Here are the main concerns raised by the IT department:
> 
>   1.
> Lack of vendor support for open-source software
> I explained that OpenRefine has an active developer and user community, plus
> plenty of online training resources. This is no longer a concern.
>   2.
> Manual update processes
> I shared that OpenRefine is available through various package repositories,
> which they agreed could work.
>   3.
> Microsoft Defender cannot detect OpenRefine
> The issue is that OpenRefine uses a non-standard installation architecture and
> lacks a digital signature for its CPE, preventing Defender from identifying it.
> They said that since there’s no way to manually intervene, it creates challenges
> for vulnerability management.
> 
> I posted about this on the OpenRefine discussion
> board<https://forum.openrefine.org/t/misunderstood-requirements-
> preventing-the-use-of-openrefine/1865> and got helpful feedback, but
> Point 3 remains a blocker. Has anyone successfully addressed this issue
> with institutional devices?
> 
> Thanks in advance for any insights!
> 
> Katherine
> 
> Katherine O'Brien (She / Her) Application Administrator, Online Services
> The University of Notre Dame Australia Phone: +61 8 9433 0703 |
> University Library<https://library.nd.edu.au/home> ND39 Fremantle
> Campus, Nyungar boodjar I respect and acknowledge the Traditional owners
> of the land on which I live and work as the First People and Custodians
> of this country.
> 
> [promotional banner. Crest logo of the University of Notre Dame
> Australia. Fremantle, Broome, Sydney. ND6259. CRICOS Provider:
> 01032F]<https://www.notredame.edu.au/>
> 
> Disclaimer
> 
> The information contained in this communication from the sender is
> confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized
> to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any
> disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of
> this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
> 
> This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been
> automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service
> (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human
> generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out
> more visit the Mimecast website.