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Protect Yourself

There are a number of simple, proactive steps that you can take to make your computer much harder to break into.

Patches and Updates

Critical patches and updates mitigate security flaws in operating systems and applications. University-owned computers have updates to the operating system and large applications managed; there is nothing you need to do. However, you should check for updates on personal devices and for applications that are not installed by default.

Strong Passwords

In recent years, passwords have become less and less effective. As technology advances, the business of guessing passwords has become much easier. Still, it is important to use strong passwords to protect your accounts.

Phishing

Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire sensitive information by posing as a trustworthy entity. The most common means of phishing is via an email that contains a link to an online form that prompts for your information.

Antivirus

Antivirus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malicious software. Every computer should run up-to-date antivirus to protect it, as well as to prevent these malicious programs from spreading.

Personal Firewall

A personal firewall is a software network security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. These programs protect your computer from unwanted access and stop malicious programs communicating with the internet.

Last Modified:   Wed, September 21, 2022 11:55 AM CDT

There are a number of simple, proactive steps that you can take to make your computer much harder to break into.

Patches and Updates

Critical patches and updates mitigate security flaws in operating systems and applications. University-owned computers have updates to the operating system and large applications managed; there is nothing you need to do. However, you should check for updates on personal devices and for applications that are not installed by default.

Strong Passwords

In recent years, passwords have become less and less effective. As technology advances, the business of guessing passwords has become much easier. Still, it is important to use strong passwords to protect your accounts.

Phishing

Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire sensitive information by posing as a trustworthy entity. The most common means of phishing is via an email that contains a link to an online form that prompts for your information.

Antivirus

Antivirus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malicious software. Every computer should run up-to-date antivirus to protect it, as well as to prevent these malicious programs from spreading.

Personal Firewall

A personal firewall is a software network security system that controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. These programs protect your computer from unwanted access and stop malicious programs communicating with the internet.