Personal Computer Security Tips and Resources


Securing Your Computer

Please watch this video about protecting your personal devices

Operating System Patches

Operating System patches repair holes discovered within the operating system. Patches are updates that fix a particular problem or vulnerability within a program. Typically, patches are published on the operating system vendor's website. It is important to install patches as soon as possible to protect your computer from attacks related to the specific vulnerability in your system.

Microsoft releases security patches and updates on the second Tuesday of every month. DePaul owned and imaged computers are configured to receive automatic updates. To keep your personal computer up to date, either configure it to receive automatic updates or visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.

Software

Many of the typical software applications that you run on your computer require periodic updates. If automatic options are available, we recommend that you take advantage of them. If they are not available, check your vendors' websites periodically for updates. Make sure that you only download software or patches from trusted websites . Also, beware of email messages that claim that they have attached the patch to the message, these attachments are often viruses.

Firewalls

Firewalls provide protection by shielding your computer or network from malicious or unnecessary Internet traffic. Firewalls can be configured to block data from certain locations while allowing the relevant and necessary data to pass through.

Web Browser Security

Your web browser is your main gateway to the rest of the Internet. This makes the security settings within your browser important. Many web applications try to enhance your browsing experience by enabling different types of functionality. This functionality may leave you susceptible to having your computer compromised. The safest policy is to disable the majority of these features unless you decide they are necessary. If you decide that a site is trustworthy, you can enable some functionality temporarily and then you can disable it once you are done.