Safe Computing Guidelines...

The information on this page outlines some basic guidelines for technology users. Additional information, services, and links will be added as they become available.

1. Basic Keys to Securing Your Resources
2. Data Privacy and Encryption
3. Password Protection
4. Personal Firewalls
5. Email
6. Virus Protection
7. Hoaxes
8. System Backup
9. Remove/Do Not Install Unnecessary Programs and/or Services
10. Policy on Responsible Use of University Computing Resources
    

1.  Basic Keys to securing your resources

• Do not share passwords.
• Change your password often.
• Remove or do not install unnecessary programs and/or services from your computer.
• Be wary of ALL email attachments, even if they come from someone you know.
• Install and frequently update your anti-virus software.
• Install software patches for your operating system as they are made available.
• Install and maintain a personal firewall.
• Encrypt sensitive data.
• Backup your computer on a routine basis.

 

2.  Data Privacy and Encryption

Security on the internet is a concern for all computer users. Protecting data, personal information, and communication is of paramount importance to security.  The first step toward keeping data private is developing a better understanding of what data is easily accessible.  Generally, anything posted on a web page is easily accessible, like personal web pages, MySpace, Facebook, and Instant Messaging profiles and away messages.  If you post a phone number on your Facebook profile, for instance, know that anyone could potentially get access to that number.

Encrypting data, so that it cannot be accessed/read by anyone except for those to whom it is intended, is a valuable security measure.  While less important than common sense applied in making data available, encryption will become more and more important in the future.

Currently, our wireless networks do not use any encryption to allow for compatibility with the maximum number of devices. All encryption tasks are then passed onto the browser and secure web sites, such as UST email, your banks secure online banking, etc.

 

     Do:

• Change your password frequently at the UST Change Password page.
• Use a combination of letters and numbers
• Make your password more than 6 characters in length (UST currently requires a minimum of 6 characters, but can be as many as you select.)

 
     Do Not:

• Use personal information (e.g. birth date, child's name, pet's name, high school name, etc.)
• Share your password with anyone
• Store your password in an insecure location (e.g. sticky note on monitor, desk drawer, etc.)
• Use words found in the dictionary (There are programs used by hackers that can easily search for and find words found in the dictionary.)
• Use other easily identifiable phrases like "ust", "tommie", etc...
  

4.  Personal Firewalls

 

Personal firewalls check incoming and outgoing data to ensure that it meets defined security levels, and are one of the first lines of protection from intruders and viruses. Windows XP users should leave the built-in firewall turned on. However, the firewall will normally be turned off if you have installed any modern Norton or McAfee product or anything that replaces the Windows Firewall. The following is a list of some personal firewall software products. If you are uncertain of the installation process, IRT recommends that you request the assistance of your departmental IT support or the IRT Tech Desk.

• Windows Firewall (The default firewall that is included with the Windows XP operating system)
• Zone Alarm
• Norton Internet Security/Norton Firewall
• McAfee Personal Firewall
• Macintosh OS X (The default firewall on the Macintosh operating system)
  

5.  Email

 

Email is a basic form of business and personal communication today. It is now commonly used for transferring information, files, data, and for distributing communications. However, email is also one of the weakest links in information security. It is highly vulnerable to interception, forgery, and is often used as a tool for distributing viruses that can cripple systems. Destructive viruses and worms are distributed worldwide not only through email attachments, but also through harmless-looking messages that can run automatically (e.g. Nimda virus). Spam (unsolicited "junk" mail, typically of an advertising nature) can also present security risks by containing viruses which can compromise your system.

Some basic rules to assist you in protecting both your systems and the UST network from compromise via email are:

• Do not open attachments until you have verified they are safe. Email attachments are one of the most commonly used method of distributing viruses. If you receive an email with an attachment from an unknown source delete and/or purge the message from your system.  Don't assume that dangerous attachments come only from unknown persons; many email-transmitted viruses will use your address book to send to others, so your friends' machines, if compromised, may start sending you infected messages.
• Prevent open mail relays (If you don't know whether you do or what this is, then don't worry about this). If you operate an email "relay" (a service which retransmits messages), you are at higher risk, and also may be required to reconfigure or discontinue its use due to the risk of it being abused and thus causing other sites to configure their systems to reject even legitimate mail from UST.
• Report email abuse. If you receive unusually high amounts of unsolicited email or spam, you can make a new email message and attach the spam message(s) to spam@stthomas.edu.  Some "spam" is going to happen even under the best of defenses, but alerting the address above can help us to filter out new or unusually prolific variations.
• Change your password regularly and often by visiting the UST Change Password page.

For a complete overview of email use at UST go to the IRT Email page.

 

6.  Virus Protection

A computer program that copies itself. Often viruses will disrupt computer systems or damage the data contained upon them. A virus requires a host program and will not infect a computer until it has been run. Some viruses spread across networks by making copies of themselves or may forward themselves via email. The term 'virus' is often used generically to refer to both viruses and worms. Please visit the IRT Virus Protection page for more information and for anti-virus software.

 

7.  Hoaxes

Hoaxes can also present a problem for computer users. Hoaxes are false information about viruses and worms. For more information about Hoaxes please visit the IRT Virus Protection page.

 

8.  System Backup

Keeping a current (and even past) backup of your data is an essential part of protecting your data from loss in the event of a compromise.  By keeping at least two backups, one recent, and one from several months ago, you are better prepared to recover your system if, for example a virus prevents your machine from operating and becomes included in your most recent backup.  Your previous backup may be old enough to be free of that virus.

Be aware that for the most part, you only need to backup files that you created, such as documents, favorites or bookmarks, music and videos, and locally saved email and/or address book files.  Entire system backups while useful, are often necessary if you have an option to do what is called a "System Restore". This is not to be mistaken with a Windows-based software option also confusingly called System Restore which only brings certain key changes back to the operating system based on restore points that the computer automatically makes periodically or before major changes.

This is in contrast to the vendor or manufacturer's System Restore option which usually wipes the entire computer clean and restores it to the condition in which it was received from the factory. It is usually carried out on computers from a large manufacturer, such as Dell, Gateway, HP, Apple, etc, and is accomplished with the use of included CDs or DVDs or even a special hard drive partition provided with the computer.  Generally, you would boot your machine from these resources and follow the procedure given.  Contact your vendor for specific details.

A good strategy is to keep your files on a USB drive and then also saved in another location. One of the safest places to keep your critical data files is in your MyStorage directory.  More information about MyStorage can be found at the IRT Shared File Space page.

 

Also, don't install additional operating system "features" into your computer that you don't need.  Features like a personal web server are often points of high vulnerability that are also among the easiest to avoid.  If you don't need it, don't install it.

10.  Policy on Responsible Use of University Computing Resources