Information Technology Services
Online HelpDesk Support
Smart Computing tips for Students
ANTI-VIRUS
SOFTWARE
Though all UNCA email accounts are protected to some degree from spam as well as
suspicious attachments, the university doesn't currently provide its students
with anti-virus software for use on their personal computers. However, it is
strongly recommended that you have up-to-date anti-virus software on your
computer, especially if you have a PC rather than a Mac. Currently popular
anti-virus programs include Trend Micro, McAfee, CA, Norton (Symantec), etc. If
you don't have the money to spare for purchasing anti-virus software, we suggest
you try the free version of AVG Anti-Virus by Grisoft. It updates its virus
definitions automatically, runs regular scans for suspicious files, and seems to
provide good protection overall. You can download it at the following website:
SPYWARE/ADWARE
REMOVAL SOFTWARE
It is equally important
these days to keep your computer clear of spyware and adware. Spyware typically
installs itself on your computer by bundling itself to freeware, shareware and
sometimes just a website you might innocently visit. It then covertly harvests
information from your computer as you use it and is programmed often to send the
information to spammers (contributing to that seemingly never-ending barrage of
unwanted emails). Adware, though not as potentially harmful as spyware, can also
be highly annoying, frequently popping ad windows onto your screen. Most bundled
Internet security packages and many anti-virus applications these days have
spyware/adware detection and removal tools built into them. If you don't believe
you have such tools on your computer, you might try installing and using the
following free applications:
FIREWALL
A firewall helps
protect your computer from Intruders (people or applications trying to hack into
your computer files) by monitoring and either allowing or blocking Internet
traffic to and from your computer according to its security settings. If you
live in the dorms, you are able to benefit from limited firewall settings the
Information Technology department has in place for the on-campus wired network.
However, you can and should have more firewall protection on top of that. If you
have Windows XP or Windows Vista, a moderate firewall is already incorporated
into your operating system software. Both Windows XP and Windows Vista users can
check to make sure their Windows Firewall is turned on by clicking on Start >
Control Panel > Security Center. If you prefer not to use the Windows
firewall, you can purchase a firewall of your choice or try using a reputable
free firewall, such as:
WINDOWS
UPDATES
Updating your Windows
operating system software on a regular basis plays a critical role in helping to
keep your computer malware-free and running smoothly. As time goes by, Microsoft
becomes aware of weak spots in its software (often thanks, oddly enough, to
hackers trying to break into it). As it learns of potentially weak areas, it
develops and pushes out, via updates, fixes to strengthen those areas. You
should ideally have your computer set to run automatically, looking and
installing updates on a regular basis, at least once a week. This setting, too,
can be found in the Windows Security Center for both XP and Vista users.
PHISHING
"Phishing" can be
defined as the act of trying to obtain personal information from an unsuspecting
person for the purpose of fraudulent use. The most common form of "phishing" is
via email, though it can also occur when visiting a website. The email can take
on various patterns, such as being disguised to look as though it's from your
financial institution, a pleas for financial help, a get-rich-quick scheme, etc.
All, however, will ultimately ask for personal information. If you receive an
unsolicited email asking for personal information of any kind,
DO NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION.
Following this advice will most likely save you from potentially very serious
problems which can affect your entire livelihood. If you know not to reply to
such requests for information, you have a certain degree of "self-protection".
If, however, you would prefer additional protection, Microsoft Internet Explorer
7 has a built-in phishing filter which you can elect to turn on. Open Internet
Explorer, go to Tools > Phishing Filter for various options of protection
settings.
IDENTITY
THEFT
Phishing brings up the
serious concern of Identity Theft, as it is one way you can get your "identity"
stolen. The U.S. Department of Education has an excellent website devoted to
Identity Theft -- how to avoid it, how to report it, how to recover from it. You
can access this information at the site's home page:
US Department of Education's Tips.
Additional helpful links on that site are:
Tips to protect yourself from Identity Theft
What to do if you're a victim of Identity Theft
POP-UPS
Pop-ups are little ads that
will suddenly appear on your screen in separate windows, often blocking the page
you're trying to see. Some of these little ads even try to encourage you to
download their pop-up blocker software in order to "block pop-ups". You can
purchase pop-up blocking software if you wish, but using the Windows pop-up
blocker which is provided with Internet Explorer (v.6 and later), seems to do an
adequate job without interfering with most legitimate situations where an
application you're using needs to open a separate window. You do need to use
Internet Explorer in order to use this feature. To turn it on, open Internet
Explorer, click on Tools > Pop-up Blocker and select "Turn on pop-up blocker".
You will also see a "Pop-up Blocker Settings" option, through which you can
"allow" pop-ups from certain sites and applications.
MORE MATTERS OF GOOD PRACTICE....
CLEAR COOKIES AND TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES REGULARLY
"Cookies"
are small
compilations of data about you which are stored on your computer's hard drive
via your web browser. This data can include such information as
usernames and passwords you may use for particular websites, shopping
cart information, site preferences, etc. Though the cookies themselves
cause no harm, the information they store can fall into the wrong hands
via hackers, spyware & other malware. In order to protect your
information, you should make a habit of never allowing a site to
"remember" your username or password, and you should set your browser to
delete cookies every time it is closed.
"Temporary Internet Files" are files which are stored (cached) on your hard drive by your browser. These files contain data on every website or URL you visit. Generally, these files are harmless and do little more than slow your computer's response time down when they reach a large number. Sometimes, however, a hacker will manage to attach malware to a website, which can then get downloaded to your hard drive without your knowledge. In order to protect your computer from such potential harm as well as to help keep it running more efficiently, it is good practice to clear the temp files from your computer on a regular basis, if not set your browser to delete them automatically when it is closed.
Click here for more detailed instructions on handling cookies and
temporary internet files.