Protecting Your Computer on the UGA Network
What You Need to Know.
 | Looking for F-Secure? Try our anti-virus download page | |
Connecting to the Internet on campus is different from connecting at home. Your computer will be wide open to the Internet and the thousands of other computers connected to the UGA network. Consequently, the potential for getting infected with computer viruses and spyware is much greater on campus.
Virus and spyware infections can be a real nightmare. They can easily cause the loss of important data such as documents and media, and can degrade basic computer functions like connecting to the Internet. Criminals can even use viruses and spyware to gather personal information and commit identity theft.
Fortunately, there are 5 easy steps you can take to protect a computer on the UGA network:
- Run anti-virus software
- Run anti-spyware software
- Use a firewall
- Enable automatic computer updates
- Use a strong system password
Anti-Virus Software
Getting anti-virus software is easy because most new computers come with McAfee or Norton already installed. However, both of these programs have a subscription fee for up-to-date protection. Alternatively, UGA faculty, staff, and students may download, use, and update F-Secure Anti-Virus for free. Visit our anti-virus page to download a copy, but you should never install more than one anti-virus program on your computer at one time.
Anti-Spyware Software
Your computer should have anti-spyware software. F-Secure comes with a built in anti-spyware scanner. However, if you choose to use a different anti-virus program, Microsoft's Windows Defender is recommended. This free program offers real-time protection, scheduled scans, and automatic updates in an easy-to-use interface. Windows Defender is built-in to all Windows Vista computers, but XP users will need to download it using the link above.
Firewall
A firewall allows your computer to connect to the Internet, but prevents other computers from connecting to you without permission. Most computers already have a built-in software firewall, and F-Secure, McAfee, and Norton all come with their own software firewall as well. Your computer will be protected from most network attacks as long as the built-in firewall or anti-virus program's firewall is not disabled.
Automatic Computer Updates
Your computer should also be configured to automatically download updates that fix security holes that viruses and spyware can exploit. Fortunately, all new computers will be configured for automatic updates by default. Windows XP users should visit www.windowsupdate.com to make sure automatic updates are enabled. If your computer is not already set to receive updates automatically, click the button on the right-hand side of the page that says "Turn on Automatic Updates".
Strong Password
Our last recommendation is to secure your computer with a strong password. Attackers can easily guess blank or weak system passwords to gain access to a computer. You should select a strong password with a mix of both capital and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters like # or $. goD@Wgs! demonstrates a good mix of characters in a strong password.
If you follow these 5 easy steps, your computer will be much safer on the UGA network. Feel free to contact EITS if you have any concerns. Students should contact Student Technology Support at 706-542-3333. Faculty and Staff can reach the EITS Help Desk at 706-542-3106. Also, be on the lookout for our Computer Health and Security Fair in October.
