Quick and easy ways to protect your computer
Turn on Automatic Updates and install critical updates
Install antivirus and anti spyware software and keep it up to date
Free antivirus software for CSU students
Turn on your firewall
Scan files for viruses before opening them
Be aware of the risks of filesharing and P2P applications
Be aware of Phishing emails and Phishing websites
Turn on Automatic Updates and install critical updates
Microsoft provides Windows users with free software that downloads and installs the latest security updates automatically. This software is called Windows Update and can be configured according to your preferences. The Microsoft Update site will check your computer settings and if Windows Update is not already turned on, it will guide you through the necessary steps. The page requires Internet Explorer and the download and installation of an Active X control to get started.
Information for Macintosh users will be added soon.
Install antivirus and anti spyware software and keep it up to date
All students should have antivirus software installed on their computer before connecting it to the CSU network. Antivirus software should be kept up to date because new types of malicious viruses are being released all the time and the updates provide protection against these new threats. If your virus protection is not up to date it cannot provide protection against the newest threats and therefore increases vulnerability.
Free antivirus software for CSU students
CSU provides all students with free virus protection to help protect their computers against common threats including viruses, trojan horses, worms and some spyware. Free antivirus software, installation instructions and update settings are located on our Software Downloads page.
Spyware and malware is software that is downloaded and installed on your computer often without you knowing. It makes changes to your computer that can cause it to slow down significantly and even crash in some cases. It is sometimes obvious your computer has spyware, you notice your browsers home page or search page has been changed or there are suddently new components like toolbars installed in your browser that you dont need or want. Another obvious symptom is being bombarded with popup windows unrelated to what you are viewing on the Internet. Spyware makes it very difficult to change your settings back to the way you had them before it was installed. Sometimes you wont even know spyware has been installed but you will notice your computer getting slower and slower and sometimes crashing completely. As spyware is different to viruses antivirus software does not offer complete protection and this is why you should install dedicated antispyware software in addition to antivirus software. The most popular free versions are Malwarebytes, Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad Aware.
Turn on your firewall
A firewall is a program that looks at all data flowing into and out of your computer. Rules can be defined for your firewall to specify what should and should not be allowed to access your computer. A firewall can log any suspicious attempts to access your computer and can notify you when your computer is being probed or attacked.
Turning on Windows Update will keep the built in Windows Firewall up to date or if you prefer you can purchase and install a 3rd party firewall program.
If you are a Windows user you can open Windows Firewall from Control Panel to review or change your settings.
If you would like more information about Windows firewalls search the Windows website.
Turn on access Scanning on or scan files for viruses before opening them
Most antivirus software has on access scanning turned on by default - this means when you open a file it will automatically scan it to check for viruses, you should check if yours is turned on and if not turn it on. Instructions will be in the Help menu of your antivirus software. If you do not turn it on you should scan certain files to ensure they are virus free. Files that should be scanned with your antivirus software before being opened include
- Files that are emailed to you
- Files downloaded from the Internet
- Files provided to you on removable media (USB drive, CD/DVD, USB hard drive etc)
You can scan entire USB drives and any other removable media rather than scanning individual items. Most antivirus software allows you to right click on an item such as a USB drive or USB hard drive from My Computer/Windows Explorer to bring up the right click menu where you can select the scan option quickly.
A regular virus scan that scans your whole computer should also be set up, you might set this for weekly or fortnightly if you have on access scanning. Some antivirus software requires a full scan to ensure it has properly dealt with any threats that may have been detected by your on access scanner.
Further information on the different methods available to you for scanning files for viruses can be found in the Help menu of your antivirus software.
Be aware of the risks of filesharing and P2P applications
In addition to copyright infringement filesharing applications often expose you to viruses, worms, trojans, keyloggers, spyware and other malicious software. This is because you dont know what you are downloading and people often open files from untrusted sources without first scanning for viruses. Even content that appears legitimate can contain viruses eg software installs and opens as normal but launches a virus in the background without you knowing. All files downloaded from filesharing applications should be scanned to make sure they are free of viruses before you open them.
Another risk of filesharing applications is the sharing of a folder or folders from your computer ie anyone using that file sharing application can access anything you have saved in there. This causes serious problems if the folder or folders being shared contain financial details like bank account numbers or usernames and passwords for online accounts or other private information. If you use filesharing applications you should check and always be aware of the shared folder location and what content is kept in there.
The best protection against these risks is avoiding the use of filesharing applications.
Be aware of Phishing emails and Phishing websites
Phishing refers to fraudulent attempts to access your personal or confidential information. Phishing emails request personal details or direct you to a fradulent website to login so they can capture your username and password.
Online scammers go to great lengths to trick people by copying the layout of legitimate emails and websites from companies such as Banks, Paypal, Ebay, Web based email providers and even your workplace or University in attempts to get your account details.
You should never respond to an email request to login to a companies website to verify your account or unsolicited requests for your credit card or bank account details.
Microsoft Online Safety provides an informative article about how to recognise phishing email messages or links that you should read to help protect yourself and recognise attempts to obtain your personal information.