Arizona State University Information Technology: Computer Security Security Home Arizona State University
Security 101

10 Steps to Protect Your Personal Information and Your Computer
Step 1

Use Secure Passphrases/Passwords

  • Do NOT give out your passphrase to anyone.
  • Make your password between 8 and 14 characters long, so that it will be more difficult to discover with a brute force search.
  • Use a combination of at least 3 of the following: uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters
    (ex. “My dogs name is fred” Md0Gn#!sf or Md0g$n@m3!sFrd).
  • Change your passphrase at least once a semester (6 months). Changing it more often is recommended.
  • Do NOT write your password down.
  • Always remember to LOGOUT of any system you have entered your password to log in.
Step 2

Update Operating System & Software

  • Check for system updates weekly. Use automated updating when available.
    windowsupdate.microsoft.com
    www.apple.com/support
  • Check for Internet accessing software updates once a month. Go to the vendor Web site and check under software support to find downloads and patches for your software.
  • Subscribe to vendor mailing lists for notification of problems and fixes.
Step 3

Install & Maintain Antivirus Software

  • ASU provides antivirus software (McAfee) to all faculty, staff, and students.
  • Configure the antivirus software to check at least daily for updates.
  • Schedule an antivirus scan of all files on a regular basis, preferred weekly to catch problems.
  • Register for the antivirus announcement list to get regular e-mails on virus updates and warnings.
Step 5

Install & Use a Firewall

  • ASU provides a firewall (Kerio) for the Microsoft Windows Operating System to all faculty, staff, and students.
  • The Windows XP SP2 and the Macintosh OS X firewalls are good protection as well.
  • It will take the systems a while to learn appropriate behavior.
  • If in doubt about allowing or denying a firewall rule, consult the IT Help Desk for additional information.
Step 5

Install & Use Anti-Spyware Utilities

Step 6

Implement Network Security

  • Turn off file and print sharing when not being used.
  • Do NOT select to store or retain username and password in web browsers.
Step 7

Beware of E-mail Attachments & Internet Downloads

  • Do NOT use the preview mode for e-mail contents.
  • Do NOT open an attachment that the antivirus software deems malicious.
  • Do NOT open e-mails from anyone you do not know (delete them instead).
  • Do NOT open attachments from anyone if you are not expecting them. Confirm the attachment with sender before opening.
Step 8

Create Backups for Files & Folders

  • Writable CDR drives now come with most laptops and desktop computers. This is an excellent way to backup important files and folders.
  • Create a schedule for backups. It is recommended to backup at least once a week.
  • Create a rotation of CDs to have at least a month of backups to retrieve data from.
Step 9

Remove Unused Software

  • Disable and remove software that is no longer used or is not required (including games, free downloaded software, music players, etc.).
  • This will not only make your machine more secure but will most likely speed it up as well.
Step 10

Limit Access to Sensitive Info

  • Do NOT use public or Internet Café computers to access online financial services accounts or perform financial transactions.
  • Do NOT enter personal, financial, or credit card information into suspect Web sites.
  • Make sure that the Lock icon is closed on a Web site before entering personal, financial, or credit card information.

© 2007 ABOR — Last Modified Monday 29 January 2007