Computer Security @ John Jay

Computer Security @ John Jay

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A GUIDE TO PROTECTING YOUR COMPUTER & YOUR IDENTITY

What All John Jay Faculty and Staff Need to Know
The Department of Information Technology (DOIT) is responsible for safeguarding the John Jay computers and networks from any security breach. However, hackers can attack any computer system of the College through the Internet or other means. As an end-user, you also share the responsibility of keeping our systems safe.

WHY WORRY ABOUT COMPUTER SECURITY?

PROTECT AGAINST VIRUSES

MINIMIZE UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO YOUR ACCOUNTS OR COMPUTER

PROTECT AGAINST SPYWARE

PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY ONLINE

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT

CUNY INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICE



WHY WORRY ABOUT COMPUTER SECURITY?

No computer is safe once it is connected to a network or the Internet.

The College’s and CUNY’s Internet Security Officers continually scan our network for compromised or infected computer systems. If your computer becomes infected or compromised, you are likely to lose access to the College’s network.

This is done to minimize the damage to the infected computer and also to protect the rest of the College’s computers and networks. To regain access, your computer will have to be totally cleaned and installed with the latest updates and patches.

Therefore, please take the time to learn about computer security risks and take all the measures to protect your computer.

Remember awareness is the best defense against system vulnerabilities.

The following provides some basic information on securing your computer and safeguarding your identity.



PROTECT AGAINST VIRUSES

1. Make sure your computer has the most recent Anti Virus Software installed. If you do not currently have Anti-Virus software, please download it free from CUNY Portal eMall (http://portal.cuny.edu/) and install it on your computer immediately. Using the remote updated version of this software will ensure that it is kept current.

2. Make sure your computer’s operating system updates are installed. If you are using Windows operating system, please make sure that auto update is turned on. You can find instructions on how to do this, by clicking on "Keep Your Operating System Up-to-Date "under" Protect Your Computer" on the following web page. www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/

3. Exercise Caution when opening your e-mail attachments. The most common way to spread a worm or a virus is through email attachments.

When you receive an email with an attachment, do not open the attachment if you have not been expecting it, even if the email "appears" to have come from someone you know. Just delete these messages.

If it does come from someone you know, you should contact that person. Call or send a NEW email to determine if this person sent you this attachment and it is not a virus. More information can be found at: http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/tips.shtml




MINIMIZE UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO YOUR ACCOUNTS OR COMPUTER

1. Never share your login ids and/or passwords
Remember you are responsible for any activities associated with your login ID and password.

2. Use strong passwords
Be creative. Make up your own word.
Do not use simple, obvious or predictable passwords such as names or nicknames of people, pets, places, or personal information that can be easily found out, such as your address, birthday or hobbies.
Use 8 to 16 characters including at least one number and one special character.

3. Protect your security codes and passwords
Do not share your passwords with anyone
Do not write down your passwords or store them on your computer
Always change the password provided by a vendor or other system provider
Change your password frequently—At least once every 90 days
If you think your password has been compromised, change it immediately. Don’t reuse your previous passwords

4. Enable screen saver password protection
If you’re concerned about others accessing your computer while you are away from your desk, you should enable your password protected screen saver.

5. Prevent sharing of your hard drive
Believe it or not, your hard drive may be wide open to those who’d like to use it as a server. Do not share any files there or place files on it that are accessible by the Internet. Windows actually makes it easy to share hard drives and printers over a network. While it is a convenience and efficiency for those who need it, it compromises your computer’s safety.

6. Limit the use of Administrative privileges on you computer

7. Do not allow your network administrator to map drive connections to other computers


PROTECT AGAINST SPYWARE

Spyware is software that collects personal information without your knowledge or permission. You might be the target of spyware if you download music from file-sharing programs, free games from sites you know nothing about, or other software from an unknown source.

If your computer suddenly begins to display hundreds of pop-up ads or if your start page changes without your knowledge, you may be the victim of spyware.

For general information on what it is, how it works and what you can do to prevent or get rid of it go to

microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware

The following free tools are useful for finding and eliminating spyware:




PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY ONLINE

When sitting at your computer "surfing the net", sending email messages, and participating in online forums, it’s easy to be lulled into thinking that your activities are private. Be aware that at any step along the way, your online messages can be intercepted and your activities monitored. Educate yourself on the risks as well as the measures you can take to protect yourself online.

Visit the following web pages to learn more about protecting your privacy online.




PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft is one of the nation’s fastest growing crimes. Being a student does not safeguard you against identity theft.

Identity thieves don’t steal your money; they steal your name and reputation and use them for their own financial gain.

In fact, as a student, you may even be more vulnerable to identity theft because of the way many students handle their personal data.

Visit the following web pages to learn more about identity theft and how to protect yourself from it.




CUNY INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICE

CUNY’s Office of Information Security is continually working to better protect your computer and your identity. Please visit http://security.cuny.edu/ site for updated information on a regular basis.

OTHER HELPFUL COMPUTER SECURITY SITES


If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact the Department of Information Technology at helpdesk@jjay.cuny.edu or call (212) 237-8200. Thank you.

 Download a PDF copy of this document


LINKS

CUNY Information Security Website

SecurityProcedures (pdf)

Private Information Advisory V07182006 (Word Document)

Data Privacy and Security (Power Point Presentation)

 

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