EMail This Page - Print

Christina Smith Daily Egyptian

Although the majority of college students own a computer, most tend to overlook the benefits of keeping them up to date.

"One of the major security vulnerabilities is when people do not patch their operating systems and applications," said Curt Wilson, administrative coordinator of Information Technology.

Some operating system defects could leave a computer vulnerable to viruses or other attacks when connected to the Internet. When these defects are discovered, programmers rush to write and distribute code to repair the defect.

An operating system is the software that controls basic functions like memory allocation, file handling and user interface, such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS-10, Wilson said. Web browsers include programs like Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer have automatic update options, which will check for updates and install them automatically. Windows is a common and popular operating system and is more frequently attacked than other programs, yet other programs still need to be updated, Wilson said.

"A window of vulnerability is opened when someone does not update their patches and the longer they wait to do so, the larger the window gets, " Wilson said.

Anti-virus applications depend on databases of known viruses and also need to be kept up to date. Most modern anti-virus programs have an automatic update feature and even if the updates are set up by default, the user still needs to be aware of them, Wilson said.

"If students keep their patches and virus protection updated, their computers should be in good shape," director of Information Technology Don Olson said.

Using strong passwords is another step that students can take to increase their protection. Wilson said a password should have a minimum of eight letters and combine uppercase letters, lowercase letters and special characters. He suggests at least 15 characters in a password for higher security.

"The worst thing that someone could do is to write down all their passwords and carry them with them," Olson said.

Firewalls are another important system computer users should use. Olson said that firewalls look at the subject line and address lists on incoming and outgoing messages, and if a message is sent with multiple addresses, it will consider the message junk mail.

Firewalls also prevent people from gaining access to computer systems, Olson said.

Windows XP has a built-in firewall and should be the minimum level of firewall protection, Wilson said. Other firewall programs on the market include ZoneAlarm, Sygate, Tiny Personal Firewall and Kerio.

Olson said students should be careful about opening suspicious attachments or attachments from someone they don't know because attachments can spread viruses.

"There are quite a few malicious Web sites in existence, and if a computer user is tricked into visiting one of these sites, their chances of having computer trouble are increased," Wilson said.

Botnets are an example of a growing computer problem, Wilson said. Bots, or software robots, can run without human supervision, and are frequently used to attack other computers.

"Computer security professionals are making headway to reduce the problem of botnets, but if people do not practice the basics of updating computer programs and safe Web surfing, they will still have problems," Wilson said.

Reporter Christina Smith can be reached at christina_smith@dailyegyptian.com