If you need help working with any of the following items, call the Help Desk at (716) 888-8340. More detail is available by clicking where indicated.
TOP TEN CYBER SECURITY TIPS
1. One of the most important components in secure computing is choosing and protecting your passwords. more
2. Active antivirus software is a must if you're using a Windows-based computer. more
3. Always look before you click on a link or email attachment. more
4. All operating systems come with an update mechanism. more
5. Wireless networking is incredibly powerful and convenient, but it also raises a host of security concerns; more
6. There's a lot of free software available on the Internet, but some of it is not as much of a bargain as it may seem. more
7. Internet Explorer comes with Windows, which makes it a huge target for malicious software. more
8. Be careful about posting sensitive information on the Internet, including sites like Facebook and myspace. more
9. Don't install filesharing applications on your computer, such as
Kazaa, Limewire, Ares, and others. more
10. Finally, enable the personal firewall on your computer. more
TOP TEN CYBER SECURITY TIPS
1. One of the most important components in secure computing is choosing and protecting your passwords. more
2. Active antivirus software is a must if you're using a Windows-based computer. more
3. Always look before you click on a link or email attachment. more
4. All operating systems come with an update mechanism. more
5. Wireless networking is incredibly powerful and convenient, but it also raises a host of security concerns; more
6. There's a lot of free software available on the Internet, but some of it is not as much of a bargain as it may seem. more
7. Internet Explorer comes with Windows, which makes it a huge target for malicious software. more
8. Be careful about posting sensitive information on the Internet, including sites like Facebook and myspace. more
9. Don't install filesharing applications on your computer, such as
Kazaa, Limewire, Ares, and others. more
10. Finally, enable the personal firewall on your computer. more
1. One of the most important components in secure computing is choosing and protecting your passwords. Whenever possible, use unique passwords for different services; don't use the same one for your online banking, your email, and your Paypal account.
Passwords should be at least eight characters long, and contain both upper and lower-case letters as well as numbers and punctuation characters. And whatever you do, don't share your passwords with anyone else; if someone knows your username and password, they are you so far as the computer is concerned and you're responsible for whatever they do.
For more information on choosing a secure password:
http://www.cit.cornell.edu/services/identity/password.html
To change your Canisius password, click here.
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2. Active antivirus software is a must if you're using a Windows-based computer. Canisius College is advising all owners of Windows-based computers to protect their systems by downloading and installing free software from Microsoft. You can access the latest version from Microsoft's website by clicking: Get Security Essentials. Be sure to uninstall any other antivirus software from your PC before installing Security Essentials. Be sure to keep the virus definitions up to date, so that the software can detect and neutralize new viruses as they come out. Contact the ITS Help Desk at (716) 888-8340 for more information.
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3. Always look before you click on a link or email attachment. In the past, everything from AIM messages to email to web pages have been used to lure people into clicking on a link and infecting their computers with all sorts of malicious software. If someone sends you a link in AIM and it goes to some random web site in Romania or Nigeria, it could certainly be an attempt to damage your computer. Be suspicious. For more information on AIM viruses:
http://www.aim.com/help_faq/security/faq.adp?aolp=/
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4. All operating systems come with an update mechanism. If you're using Windows, you should enable Automatic Updates. If you're using Mac OS X, turn on Software Update. This will ensure that any security holes that are discovered in your computer's software are automatically patched to fend off potential attackers. For more information on Automatic Updates for Windows XP:
http://ask.support.microsoft.com/kb/306525
For more information on Mac OS X Software Update:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106704
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5. Wireless networking is incredibly powerful and convenient, but it also raises a host of security concerns; after all, radio waves don't magically stop at your walls. If you're using wireless networking outside of the campus, make sure that you've read the documentation that came with your access point and you're taking appropriate measures (such as enabling WPA or MAC filtering) to keep passersby from using your network. For more information on securing your home network:
http://www.wikihow.com/Secure-Your-Wireless-Home-Network
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6. There's a lot of free software available on the Internet, but some of it is not as much of a bargain as it may seem. Before you download and install something on your computer, type its name into your favorite search engine and do a little bit of research on it. Some companies offer free software as bait to get users to install spyware and other malicious software on their computers. Sure, you're going to get a mouse cursor that looks like a Buffalo Bills logo, but you're also going to have some other software running in the background, slowing down your computer and possibly even harvesting your personal details. For more information on adware and spyware:
http://www.spywareguide.com/index.php
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7. Internet Explorer comes with Windows, which makes it a huge target for malicious software. While there are some things that require you to use IE (such as Windows Update, or the registration system in our residence halls) you often don't have to. To render yourself immune to the myriad Internet Explorer security holes, consider using an alternative browser like Firefox, Opera, or (if you're a Mac user) Camino. For more information on Firefox:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/
For more information on Opera:
http://www.opera.com/
For more information on Camino:
http://www.caminobrowser.org/
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8. Be careful about posting sensitive information on the Internet, including sites like Facebook and myspace. Before you post a picture or a piece of information online, remember that it will be immediately accessible to anyone in the world, especially once it shows up on Google. A good rule of thumb might be to never post anything on the Internet that you wouldn't want on a billboard near your home. Top of Page
9. Don't install filesharing applications on your computer, such asKazaa, Limewire, Ares, and others. In addition to the legal issues involved if you should happen to accidentally download some copyright-infringing material, they are often packaged with all sorts of spyware and other unpleasantness (see tip 6, above). Also, it is fairly common for people to misconfigure these applications and accidentally make the contents of their computer available to the Internet at large, including photos and credit card information. For both technical and legal reasons, you're better off not installing these at all.
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10. Finally, enable the personal firewall on your computer. This will help to keep unauthorized people from snooping around your computer when it's connected to the Internet. For more information on the Windows Firewall:
http://www.microsoft.com/
windowsxp/using/networking/security/winfirewall.mspx
For more information on the Mac OS X Firewall:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/security/
Page last published on 7/28/2011 3:35:47 PM