Performing basic computer safety maintenance is your first step to preventing nasty viruses from infecting your computer.

3 things you can do to protect your computer:

  1. Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
    At Carleton, all computer labs and staff/faculty workstations have Symantec installed.   Symantec is available to staff and faculty for home use and to students in residence -> Download Symantec here
  2. Keep up with software, operating system and security updates.
    When you get a notification to install the latest upgrade, do it.  Upgrades often contain patches that address security breaches and additional enhancements to security/functionality.
  3. Configure your computer’s built-in firewall.
    Firewalls can detect and prevent unauthorized traffic coming in from the internet.  Here is an article on how to set up a firewall on your home computer.

As a Precaution: Back up your Computer

As a further preventative measure, back your computer up on a regular basis.  This way, if you are infected with a virus, it may not be quite so painful.

For staff and faculty, this means backing your work up on the W: drive.  The data on your computer is not backed up, whereas the W: drive is backed up on a regular basis.

For students, if you use a laptop or a home computer for your school work, you may want to invest in an external hard drive as a means to back up your work, pictures, music and files.

For more information on protecting your computer, please visit carleton.ca/its/security/.