Computer Security

The following are a few guidelines to help keep your computer secure, meaning virus-free and spyware-free.

1. First and foremost, your computer should have some form of anti-virus software. The Help Desk provides McAfee VirusScan Enterprise to all students free-of-charge. This is the only recommended and supported anti-virus solution. It is important that your anti-virus software is kept up-to-date with the latest virus definitions. McAfee, as provided by the Help Desk, is setup by default to update itself everyday.
   
   
2. We also recommend that you have anti-spyware software installed and that you periodically run full scans — once a week is generally a good rule of thumb. We recommend Ad-Aware, SpyBot, and Windows Defender . While Ad-Aware and SpyBot do not provide real-time protection or automatic updates, Windows Defender provides both.
   
   
3. The third most important part of basic computer security it to keep your operating system up-to-date with the latest security patches and critical updates. Most student will have Microsoft Windows installed. Windows XP has a mechanism for Automatic Updates. If you right-click on My Computer (whether it be in the Start Menu or on your Desktop) and choose properties, the System Properties window will open. Simply click on the Automatic Updates tab at the top. You should see something like this and have it setup in a similar fashion — to automatically download and install critical updates everyday at a given time, most likely a time when your computer will be on.
   
   
   
   
4. Finally, you should have a personal firewall installed and running. This helps block unwanted internet access through your computer by both unwanted programs installed on your computer trying to reach the internet and other computers connecting to your computer. Windows XP Service Pack 2 provides a robust firewall that should be turned on at all times. You can access the firewall controls through the Control Panel.
   
   
5. Other recommendations to avoiding infection are as follows: do not install free peer-to-peer software, such as KaZaA, Grokster, and BearShare; do not click on pop-up windows from Internet Explorer, instead, close the window by clicking the X in the upper right-hand corner; do not open unexpected email attachments or attachments from unknown senders; and do not click on suspicious looking links from people on your AIM Buddy List, both in IM's and in their away messages.