Protect Your Computer from Online Threats


By Gerry Sneeringer


OIT’s Help Desk and Security teams prepare themselves each fall for the return to campus of tens of thousands of personally owned desktop and laptop computers. Some of these computers arrive on campus infected with viruses, some are inadequately protected and fall victim to previously infected systems, and other computers that were previously used on private networks in the home are suddenly exposed to nosy neighbors. The following tips can help keep your computer safe while here at the university:


  • Use Antivirus Software — Updated software that protects your computer from hostile programs is an absolute necessity, especially for owners of Windows-based systems. Many computers are purchased with trial versions of antivirus software that work for a limited time unless a subscription is purchased. The OIT Help Desk provides FREE antivirus software to all members of the university community (www.helpdesk.umd.edu/virus/
    software.shtml    ). This software updates itself regularly in order to recognize the latest threats.

  • Download Software Updates — The makers of computer software regularly find security flaws in their products and issue updates to correct the problems in their products. Those fixes are useless unless they are loaded onto your computer. Allowing your computer to perform Microsoft Updates is important, but don’t ignore the other software on your computer. Companies such as Adobe and Mozilla also release product updates regularly. Macintosh and Linux users need to heed this warning, as well.

  • Protect Your Files — Sharing the files on your computer with the network might be a reasonable thing to do on your home network, but it is an invitation for trouble when connected to a network with thousands of neighbors. Share your computer with extreme caution. There are incidents every year in which personal files, including pictures, are borrowed and distributed widely. Disable your computer’s sharing features and keep your private things private.

If you have questions about keeping your computer safe, please contact the OIT Help Desk. They will be happy to be of assistance.

 

Need a clicker for your class? You may already have one if you have a laptop or a smartphone (a phone with a Web browser, a data plan, and WiFi capability, like an iPhone or BlackBerry). Any mobile device that has a Web browser can now be substituted for the clicker devices that would usually need to be purchased at the University Book Center. A Personal Digital Assistant, or PDA, such as a Palm or an iPod touch can also be used, as long as it is wireless compatible.

This option is made possible by using ResponseWare Web (RWW). RWW’s use on campus was piloted last fall as part of the university’s Mobility Initiative, and has generated very positive feedback. You will also need access to the university wireless network to use a laptop or PDA as a clicker, or to a cellular signal, if you’re using a smartphone. Wireless is available in all university classroom buildings.
To use a mobile device as a clicker in class, you will need to purchase a RWW license, activate the license online, and then register your device through the MyUM portal. You can buy a one-year RWW license for $16 or a four-year RWW license for $32 by following the directions at http://clickers.umd.edu/store/
purchase_RWW_license.html. (Prices are subject to change.)


For more information, please visit http://clickers.umd.edu.

 

OIT Takes Additional Steps to Slam Spam      By Megan Speakes

You may have noticed that the amount of spam that gets delivered to your e-mail inbox changes over time. This is due to the nature of spam — there are people behind the messages and each time one of their tactics is successfully blocked, they develop a new one to bypass the blockade.


While OIT has provided barriers to spam coming into its e-mail systems for years, this summer, we made a change to our defensive strategy. In the past, any message claiming to come from an @umd.edu address was delivered without passing through university spam filters. Now, all incoming e-mail messages go through the spam filters unless they are sent from an e-mail server on the University of Maryland's computer network.


Junk mail filtering is done by computers, not humans, so it is possible that legitimate e-mails may occasionally be sent straight to junk mail folders. We recommend that you check your junk folders regularly for legitimate e-mail. If a legitimate message from a sender you trust is filtered into your junk mail folder, you can ensure that future messages from that sender are delivered to your inbox by adding the sender to your allow list. To learn how to do this in your Mail@umd account using Webmail, please visit www.oit.umd.edu/email/gettingstarted/webmailtutorial-manage.htm.

This means that all messages sent from outside systems (such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo), even those using an @umd.edu address as the sending address, are evaluated by spam filters before being delivered to your e-mail account.


We will continue to monitor the university's junk mail load and take steps to keep it manageable for the university community. Additional information about this effort is available via FAQs at www.oit.umd.edu/spam. Please contact the OIT Help Desk if you have any questions.

Office of Information Technology TechKnow is the Information Technology Newsletter for University of Maryland students, published by the Office of Information Technology. Letters to the editor and story suggestions are welcome. Please send correspondence to TechKnow@umd.edu.
© 2009 University of Maryland.