Securing My Personal Computer
For a more comprehensive list of ways to secure your on-campus computer, please see:
On this page:
Firewalls
A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. You can implement a firewall in either hardware or software form, or a combination of both.
A firewall is considered a first line of defense in protecting private information. It cannot be considered the only line, however, since firewalls are mostly designed to protect network traffic and connections, and therefore do not attempt to authenticate users (i.e., determine who is and who isn't allowed to use the computer the firewall is protecting, or see the traffic coming to it).
The most common of free software firewalls for Windows is the one built into Windows XP. Windows 2000 had packet filtering abilities, but it wasn't a true firewall; it was not intended to block traffic and protect the computer, but rather to classify certain packets and treat them differently. Earlier versions of Windows did not have firewalls built in at all.
For more information, see:
Virus Protection
Computer viruses implant instructions in other programs or storage devices and can attack, scramble, or erase computer data. The danger of computer viruses lies in their ability to replicate themselves and spread from system to system. Few computing systems are immune to infection.
A wealth of information can be found on the UITS Knowledge Base at the following URL:
Maintain current computer updates:
If you use Windows Me, 2000, or XP, you can schedule Automatic Updates, which will automatically download and install available updates. To configure Automatic Updates, see What is the Windows Automatic Updates feature? For other Windows versions, you should regularly visit the Windows Update site. Mac OS X users can use Software Update to keep their operating system up to date.
For more information, see:
Use FREE Security Software
Trojan horses, viruses, and spyware are probably the most common threats facing online computer users. Consequently, to protect your computer and avoid posing a threat to others, UITS recommends that you install antivirus software and spyware/adware detection and removal software and keep it current.
Note: The Indiana University Information Security Office recommends that you run the latest version of Symantec/Norton AntiVirus software (available to IU students, faculty, and staff for free via IUware) for your operating system, being sure to upgrade safely (see allvisible) and that you update your virus definitions daily and scan your computer weekly.
For more information, see:
Practice the principle of least privilege
The principle of least privilege (PoLP) advocates for users and processes to use the minimal privileges necessary to perform tasks. Following this practice limits the security risk to your computer; if low-privileged processes or accounts are compromised, the risk of damage is less than if high-privileged accounts and processes are compromised.
To learn more about this concept, see:
