Protecting Your Computer
Physically Secure Your Equipment
Use Anti-Virus Software
Enable Anti-Phishing Filters
Set Strong Passwords
Keep Software Updated
Use Anti-Intrusion Programs
Perform Backups
Use Firewall Protection
Physically Secure Your Equipment
Portable equipment such as laptops and handheld devices are easy targets for theft; do not leave them unattended. It only takes a moment for someone to pick up your laptop or handheld device while your attention is diverted.
- Close and lock doors and windows when leaving a dorm room, apartment or office vacant.
- Do not position laptops near exterior windows where they are targets for smash-and-grab style thefts.
- Keep laptops locked in a cabinet/drawer or hidden when not in use.
- Do not leave laptops or handheld devices in cars or in hotel rooms. Car trunks are not safe storage! Do not bring valuables to the attention of thieves by moving them to the car trunk at your destination.
- Use a laptop security cable to securely attach laptops to a table or desk. While these devices cannot stop determined thieves, they can deter "walk-by" theft.
- Use a computer grade surge protector to prevent computer damage and data loss from electrical power fluctuations. High quality surge protectors typically carry a warranty for replacement of equipment damaged by power-related issues. Dedicate the surge protector to your computing equipment; do not plug other items into it. If your surge protector is switched on, but the light is out or flashing, consider replacing the unit.
- Record your laptop's serial number. This can help identify your laptop and prove ownership if it is recovered after a theft.
- Some of the products you may consider purchasing include asset tagging kits (DataDot can be purchased in the campus bookstore) and GPS software which can track the location of your laptop in case of theft. When the laptop connects to the Internet, it can report the laptop's exact physical location.
For Windows, Advatrack http://www.lost-computer.com
For Mac, Orbicule http://orbicule.com/undercover
Use Anti-Virus Software
Computer security is often compromised by viruses distributed through e-mail messages and attachments. For e-mail sent to addresses in the @sfsu.edu domain, SF State's mail system scans for and deletes messages containing known viruses. An important second line of defense is to install anti-virus software locally on your computer and have it automatically check for new virus definitions. Also, periodically check for new versions of your anti-virus software. Sign up for notification of anti-virus and anti-malware software updates and upgrades (e.g., VirusScan, Spybot, SpywareBlaster, etc.)
SF State provides McAfee's VirusScan for Windows and Virex for Macintoshes free of charge to current faculty, staff, and students. Learn how to download and install them on our Anti-Virus Information web page.
User caution remains critical even with up-to-date anti-virus software, since new attacks are continually being introduced.
- Do not open e-mail attachments from senders you do not know, or even from a sender you do know if the subject of the message does not make sense.
- Be cautious when opening links sent through e-mail, as the actual target of the link may not be what is displayed in the e-mail. Many e-mail programs display the target of a link in the status bar at the bottom of the screen when the cursor is positioned over the hyperlink.
Enable Anti-Phishing Filters
Phishing is a persistent problem facing online communities. Typically, unsuspecting victims are persuaded to reveal sensitive information (e.g., account ID, password) through e-mail notices claiming to be from trusted entities (e.g., banks, internet account providers, online payment processors). The victim is tricked into logging in and submitting sensitive information at a forged website that looks identical to the trusted site. The information is captured by the scammer and often used for identify fraud.
To protect yourself:
- Activate anti-phishing features available in Web browsers such as Microsoft's IE7 browser, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, and Opera
- Verify the source of a message if it asks for personal information.
- Review additional information on phishing attempts targeted at SF State and strategies to prevent identity and sensitive information theft.
Set Strong Passwords
Set strong account passwords to protect your computer from being accessed by other people. Computer accounts with blank passwords have no protection against someone with physical access to the computer.
A strong password is one that has at least twelve characters and is made up of upper and lower case letters plus special characters (e.g., "@", "%", spaces, punctuation marks) and/or numbers. A password made up of a phrase with mixed case, spaces, and punctuation (often called a passphrase) is both easier to remember and safer than a short, traditionally complex, password. For example, "I like Rigatoni!!" is a stronger password than "Vr7q#gKA". Passwords should be easy to remember, fast to type without errors, and hard to guess. If you use a famous quotation add symbols and/or change some of the spelling (e.g., "$ Roam was Built in a Day"). You can test a password you are thinking of using at Microsoft's Password Checker.
Setting or changing a Windows password
Changing or resetting a Macintosh account password
- Do not write down passwords and do not store them in the vicinity of your computer, on a file on the computer, on the back of your laptop or in the carrying case. Keeping your password with your computer is like keeping your keys in your car!
- Set the screen saver password option to lock your computer when the screen saver is activated.
Press the Windows logo key+L or Ctrl+Alt+Delete then Enter (for Windows) before leaving your computer unattended. When you begin working again, you will be prompted to type your password to unlock your computer. - Turn off your computer when you leave for the day.
- Do not store passwords in applications such as Web browsers or e-mail clients.
- If needed, use password management programs to safeguard multiple account names and passwords (e.g., keychains on Mac), but the main password must be remembered to retrieve the others.
Keep Software Up to Date
Protect your computer with up to date operating system and application software to prevent the exploitation of known security weaknesses. Verify that the auto-update setting is turned on when available.
Operating systems: Current Macintosh and Windows operating systems have an auto-update setting that should be turned on. The auto-update feature can be set to automatically download and install updates or it can be set to download and ask the user if they would like to install the updates. Microsoft Vista and service pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP turn on the auto-update feature by default. Microsoft is no longer releasing security updates for Windows 95, 98, ME or NT4; therefore, upgrading to a newer operating system is recommended.
Microsoft Office: Microsoft periodically releases updates and security patches for the Microsoft Office suite. Certain Office programs, particularly Microsoft Outlook, have many known security holes. It is strongly recommended to upgrade to Microsoft Office 2003 or 2007 for Windows or Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac and install all Office updates to prevent malicious attacks.
Web browsers: Web browsers are by nature prone to security breaches. The most commonly used browsers are Internet Explorer (IE) on Windows, Safari on Mac OS X, and Mozilla/Firefox on both. Updates are regularly provided for them as new vulerabilities are discovered. IE and Safari are automatically updated along with operating system updates; current versions of Firefox automatically update themselves. If you use a different browser make certain it is being updated regularly.
Other Applications: Any application can have security vulnerabilities. Updates should be installed as soon as they are available to fix security holes. Many applications check for updates automatically, but not all do. Keep all of your application up-to-date.
Check VersionTracker for the latest versions of common applications.
Use Anti-Intrusion Programs
Viruses, worms, spyware, pop-ups, and adware can infect computers through e-mail, malicious websites, file exchanges and software security flaws. A number of different anti-intrusion programs such as anti-spyware, anti-adware and anti-malware can help detect and remove existing problems, or protect from future attacks. It is important to be aware that some anti-intrusion software, distributed free or for a fee, is actually software designed to attack. Only install anti-intrusion software obtained from a reputable source.
Anti-adware/anti-spyware: Adware is software which creates pop-up ads, and/or hijacks your web browser, redirecting it to a specific Internet address. These programs are usually the result of installing "free" or "trial" software. Spyware usually includes code that tracks web usage and passes it on to third parties without the user's authorization. The worst kind of spyware looks for bank account passwords or credit card information. Spyware uses the computer's Internet connection in the background without explicit permission. Both of these types of software raise privacy and security issues.
Pop-up blockers: Pop-up windows are frequently used by advertisers as well as malicious Web sites and spyware, while some legitimate Web sites, such as banks, use pop-ups for important features. All major web browsers now include built-in pop-up blocking with user-defined "white list" settings to allow pop-ups from specified sites, so add-on pop-up blockers are not necessary. Note that uncontrollable pop-up windows is usually a symptom of an adware or spyware infection. In this case, pop-up blocking only controls the symptom; use anti-spyware software to remove the cause of the problem.
Popular web browsers with pop-up blocking include: Firefox (Linux, Mac OSX, Windows), Internet Explorer 6 ( Windows XP w/ SP2), Internet Explorer 7 (Windows XP w/SP2, Windows Vista), and Safari (Mac OSX 10.2 and later).
Perform Backups
The best way to way to protect against loss of data is to make regular backups of files to removable media (disks, CDs, memory sticks) or to a network drive. Backup software can be used to automate a regular back-up process. Store backups in a safe place, off-site if possible. Backups which contain confidential data must be encrypted.
Use Firewall Protection
Firewalls protect computers from network-based attacks by preventing hackers outside of the firewall from scanning computers for network vulnerabilities. A hardware-based network firewall protects the SF State network against attacks from outside of the firewall. However, viruses and worms can still be spread to other workstations via e-mail and file transfers within the firewall. A network firewall does not control spyware, laptops brought to and from campus, or security problems originating from within the firewall.
Software-based firewalls included with Vista, Windows XP and Mac OS should be enabled. They can be installed separately on many other operating systems. All computers should use a software-based firewall when available.
How to turn on the Windows XP firewall
How to turn on a Mac OS based firewall
Off-campus users with high-speed DSL or Cable Internet connection should use a router with a built-in firewall. Routers are physical devices that are placed between a computer, or network of computers, and the Internet. Routers for home use usually provide both wireless and wired connections. Routers should not be installed on-campus.
