Computer Safety

- FOLLOW THE SAME COMMON-SENSE RULES THAT YOU FOLLOW IN "REAL LIFE." DO NOT GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION TO STRANGERS.

Never tell your computer passwords to anyone who asks for them in a chat room or by instant message. Think very carefully before giving out your real name, address, telephone number, work place, or any other bit of information that someone with evil thoughts could use to hurt you.

- NEVER GIVE OR LEND YOUR PASSWORD TO ANYONE.

Allowing anyone access to you accounts could cause problems for you if they use your account and E-mail address for any illegal activities.

- CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD FREQUENTLY.

Current hacker programs on the internet allow hackers to steal your password, thereby allowing them access to your account. By changing your password frequently, you minimize the chances of a hacker gaining access to your account.

- MONITOR YOUR ACCESS TIME.

By keeping track of when and how long you were on a computer system, it will be obvious if someone has gained access to your account.

- NEVER LEAVE YOUR COMPUTER OR LAPTOP UNATTENDED.

TUHSC Police occassionally receive reports of computers that had been stolen from offices or labs. Many of these computers were left unattended in an unlocked area. Secure your area even if it is only for a minute.

- ENGRAVE MARKINGS ON YOUR COMPUTER.

The engraving of markings on the computer will help identifiy it later if it has been stolen/lost. Examples you could use are your name, your driver's licence number, your social security number or some other identification number.

Virus Protection is a Must

One of the biggest vernablilities of using the internet and sharing files with others is the transmission of viruses.

What is a computer virus and how do I get one?

A computer virus is a program that makes copies of itself and infects diskettes or files. Computer viruses can spread to other computers and files whenever infected diskettes or files are exchanged. Often infected files come as email attachments, even from people you know. The email senders have no idea that they are passing on a file with a virus in it.

Some computer viruses can erase or change the information stored on your computer, other viruses may do little or no harm to your system. Writing and releasing any virus is prohibited by university policy, and anyone who does so will be held legally accountable for damages.

For more information on viruses visit our Virus Information Pages.

If you feel that some suspicious activities have occurred on the Internet here at TUHSC, feel free to contact the Data Systems Department staff or the TUHSC Police to seek advice.