Campus officials at the University of Colorado at Boulder are reminding students, faculty and staff about the importance of computer security as part of a yearlong effort to raise awareness.
The warnings come on the heels of a number of serious security breaches at the university over the summer.
"Hackers, identity thieves, scammers and online criminals continue to use new ways to attack your computer or steal your identity, so that means computer users need to be equally adept at fending them off," said Dan Jones, director of security for CU-Boulder's Information Technology Services or ITS.
"Not only does a secure and healthy computer help students ensure the use of technology as part of their academic experience, but a secure computer also protects against the loss of important information and even identity theft," he said.
CU-Boulder officials take numerous precautions to secure the campus network, including quarantining questionable files, constantly monitoring networked computers for signs of malicious activity and removing any vulnerable computers from the campus network. But officials say there also are many things individuals can do to keep their computers and information safe.
"By frequently communicating with students, faculty and staff about the importance of computer security and how to implement some of the most effective security tools, we hope to help the campus utilize technology to its greatest potential for teaching and learning," said Dennis Maloney, executive director of ITS.
Steps individuals can take to protect computers and their information include:
o Keep the operating system and other installed software up-to-date. ITS recommends configuring computers for automatic updates.
o Use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. CU-Boulder offers a no-cost version to the campus. For more information visit .
o Use anti-spyware software. Spyware is unwanted software that attaches itself to computers while users are on the Web, often without their knowledge. ITS lists some no- and low-cost solutions at .
o Set up a firewall to protect the computer from attack.
o Be cautious about opening attachments or downloading files from e-mails.
o Don't e-mail personal or financial information. E-mail should never be considered secure.
o Don't click on e-mail or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information.
o Don't click on an embedded link. Instead, open a new browser and type in the Web address.
o If conducting transactions or sensitive business online, make sure the site is secure by looking for the lock icon or a URL that begins "https."
o Review credit card and bank account statements immediately.
In January 2005 ITS launched an educational effort geared toward making the campus community aware of key computer security topics. To find out more about the topics, including information and tools to ensure protection, interactive quizzes and the latest information about campus computer safety visit .
Students, staff and faculty also can contact the Information Technology Service Center at (303) 735-4357 or help@colorado.edu if they have computer security questions or concerns.