Here are some simple and easy steps you can take to enhance IT security and protect yourself and your computer.
- Never share your passwords. If someone does not have a password to gain access to a resource, they probably were not supposed to have it in the first place.
- Do not open suspicious email. If you receive an e-mail message from an unknown person that contains an attachment, do not open it. The e-mail may contain a virus.
- Lock your computer when you walk away. For Windows users, be sure to use the “Ctrl-Alt-Del” function to prevent someone from using your computer when you step away from your desk.
- Protect information stored on external media. Take steps to properly erase and dispose of external media such as CD-ROMs, diskettes, or USB flash drives.
- Protect information stored on your computer. Store data on your network drive and not on your computer’s hard drive (e.g. C:drive).
- Check to make sure that your computer has virus-scanning software installed. Carleton University has a campus-wide license agreement with Symantec, which provides anti-virus protection for administrative desktop computers, computers in public labs, computers owned by students living in residence, Exchange e-mail servers, as well as home use protection for faculty and staff.
For more information on protecting yourself online, please visit carleton.ca/its/security/.