Before You Connect

Before you connect to the campus network, there are a few things you'll need to do to help keep your computer virus free.

• Patch your operating system: This is a crucial security step no matter which operating system you use. Patching your operating system keeps hackers and viruses from getting in through previously undetected flaws. Besides helping to keep your computer safe, OS patches frequently address stability issues, making your computer more reliable.

  If you haven't patched your computer in over a month or are coming to campus for the first time, please visit the CITES Help Desk and pick up a CD containing the latest antivirus software before you connect to the campus network. Many viruses essentially float free on the network, automatically scanning for vulnerable computers. During the worst outbreaks last year, it took only seconds for vulnerable computers to be infected—by the time you could reach your operating system update site, your computer would have already contracted a virus.

• Install and update antivirus software: Keeping your antivirus software up to date is critical, as outdated software will not recognize new viruses. See the CITES Antivirus pages for more information.

• Install and update anti-spyware software: Spyware can produce many of the same effects as viruses, and needs its own kind of preventative software. See the CITES Anti-spyware pages for more information.

• Set up a personal firewall: Many modern operating systems come with their own firewall software, which prevents certain types of network traffic from reaching your computer. If, for example, you aren't sharing files or running an FTP server, there's no reason for your computer to accept file sharing or FTP traffic.

  While you can certainly go through your entire academic career without using one, a firewall does provide an added measure of insurance with a minimum of inconvenience. After all, the fewer connections your computer accepts, the fewer ways it can be broken into.

For step-by-step instructions tailored to your operating system, continue to explore the CITES Security web site.