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Security & Safe Computing

As members of the campus community, it is imperative that all faculty, staff and students keep their computer systems free of programs that could cause loss of data, breaches of security, or negative impacts on network performance. Following is a collection of suggestions intended to help computer users defend against viruses, worms, spyware, malware and other questionable code.

Operating System Updates

Many of the attacks launched against computers succeed by taking advantage of flaws found in the computer’s operating system (OS). These flaws are patched by installing system updates provided by the OS vendor. To help keep a computer protected, the operating system should be configured to download and install updates on a regular basis. Below are links to step-by-step instructions for configuring several popular operating systems to automatically download and install updates on a daily basis:

Anti-virus Software

Anti-virus software defends a computer against malicious code. The Drake Acceptable Computer Use Policy states that current anti-virus software is required on all campus computers.

Drake pre-installs Sophos anti-virus software on all Drake owned computers.  The Sophos anti-virus software is available to students living in the residence halls.   Students may download the software by clicking on the appropriate link below.  Have handy your Banner ID and birthdate (in MMDDYY format).  For more information, please contact the Help Desk at x3001.

Anti-spyware Software

Spyware is software installed on a computer system that hijacks information and shares it with someone else.  The information may include Web sites visited, email addresses, passwords and credit card numbers. Spyware also uses memory and system resources that can lead to computer crashes and general system instability. Dealing with spyware and its effects can be equal to that of dealing with viruses and worms. The fix for such issues can be problematic and painstaking.

Most spyware is installed inadvertently when computer users surf the web. Generally, people would not knowingly install software that could compromise their computer or invade their privacy. As a result, many spyware program writers deceive the end user by piggybacking spyware on a piece of desirable software. Another tactic is to trick an internet user into doing something that installs the software without the person realizing it.

Sophos anti-virus software scans your computer for known spyware.

Personal Firewall Protection

A firewall can protect a computer against hackers and other security attacks. The latest versions of Windows and the Macintosh operating systems have built in firewalls. The following links explain how to enable the firewall functions within the operating systems.

For Windows computers that are not running Windows XP with Service Pack 2, ZoneAlarm provides a free basic firewall for individual use. It is available here: ZoneAlarm Download

Note: While ZoneAlarm is free for individual and charitable non-profit entity use, this does not include government offices or educational institutions. It can be used on personally owned computers, but not on systems owned by the university.

 

Protect Your Personal Information when Using Email

 

The key rule here is simple:

 

NEVER, EVER, EVER RESPOND TO AN EMAIL REQUEST FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

 

“Phishing” is a common type of email fraud.  A message is sent asking the recipient to reply with personal information.  You may be asked for usernames, passwords, bank and credit cards numbers, social security number, etc.

If you reply to such a message, it is very likely that the information you send will be used for criminal purposes such as identity theft and fraud.   Legitimate organizations do not ask for such information to be sent via email.

Sometimes it is difficult to recognize these as “phishing”.  The return address may appear to be from someone you know, from Drake, from your bank, or any other organization.  It is unfortunately simple for a hacker to insert a fake return address, which actually passes on any response to a different address.  The message may be well-written, with a plausible-sounding reason for needing the information.  “Checking the accuracy of our files” is popular, sometimes with the addition of “there may be a security or other problem with your account”.  It may offer you a seemingly attractive financial opportunity. 

You can avoid any uncertainty about whether the message is genuine by simply deleting it.   Never, ever respond to an email request for personal information.