Viruses

The Instructional Support team understands the impact that computer viruses can have on the academic environment and cannot stress in strong enough terms the need for end users to be diligent in preventing the spread of computer viruses on campus. It is important for end users be they faculty, staff, or students to be aware of the threat that computer viruses pose to their own computers and to the campus as a whole. While viruses cannot be blocked entirely their impact and spread can be minimized by following these guidelines

Click a Guideline to learn more:

1. Stay informed
   • Stay educated about viruses. Visit the Microsoft At Home Security site regularly to learn about security issues.
2. Use firewalls
   • Your first line of defense is to install a firewall on your home computer. Visit the Microsoft At Home Security Protect your PC site to learn more about firewalls.
   • Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) comes with a firewall. To be sure it is turned on click Start >Control Panel>Security Center>Firewall.
   • Faculty and Staff should contact Instructional Support to learn about upgrading their home computers to XP SP2.
3. Use anti-virus software
   • Be sure that a trusted, reputable antivirus software application is installed on your computer and is running. SNHU uses Symantec Antivirus Enterprise Edition and installs this software on all university owned computers. Students and home users should ensure that they have antivirus software on their PCs as well.
   • Resident students can download Norton Antivirus software free of charge at the Norton Antivirus License Agreement site.
   • Other SNHU students may purchase reputable anti-virus software at an educational discount by visiting the SNHU Campus Store Textbook/Software site.
4. Update your anti-virus software
   • Be sure to update your antivirus definitions regularly. Installing antivirus software is not enough. Since new viruses are created daily it is important that you update your software weekly to ensure that you have the most current protection. Failure to update your virus definitions will leave you vulnerable to newer and often more damaging viruses.
5. Update your Microsoft software
   • Keep your Microsoft software updated with the latest security measures. Visit the Microsoft At Home Security Update site and watch the video to learn more about updating your software.
   • Windows XP SP2 automatically scans for updates and prompts you if you need to take steps to update. Do not ignore these prompts in the lower right corner of your screen. Older Windows versions may require your help to update the software. Plan to update your software weekly.
   • To update Microsoft Windows, choose Start>All Programs>Windows Update.
   • To update Microsoft Office, choose Start>All Programs>Windows Update>Office Family>Check for Updates
6. Be cautious with e-mails
   • Viruses can easily spread to your computer through e-mail by hiding in files attached to the messages. Ensure that your home anti-virus software scans all incoming e-mail messages. Do this even if your trust the sender
   • Avoid opening e-mails from an unknown user. If an e-mail from an unknown user is opened, avoid opening the message's attachment or clicking on a link in the body of the message.
   • Do not open suspicious or unsolicited e-mail messages. If you have MS Outlook 2003, send suspicious messages to your Junk E-mail folder. To empty the Junk e-mail folder, right click the folder then choose empty junk e-mail
7. Beware of virus hoaxes
   • Virus hoaxes are messages, usually in e-mail form, that appear to inform you of a virus and/or may tell you to do certain things to your computer such as delete files. These bogus messages prey on the trusting nature of most computer users and can cause problems especially when one user forwards it to friends, family, and co-workers.
   • Anytime you receive an e-mail informing you of a new virus or a message asking you to make alterations to your computer there is a high likelihood that it is a hoax. Whenever you receive a message that you think could be a hoax and you are unsure of its validity, check the hoax page. If you are still unsure, please contact Instructional Support for assistance.
8. Check for spyware
   • If your computer is suddenly slowing down, crashing, or showing unwanted pop-ups and other advertising, there could be spyware running on your computer. Spyware is unwanted software downloaded to your computer without your consent. It can track your keystrokes, Web sites visited and other personal information. To learn more, visit the Microsoft At Home Security Spyware site and watch the video. You can download free software to search for and delete spyware from your computer. Recommended programs are Spybot S&D and Lavasoft Ad-Aware. Both of these programs can be safely downloaded from http://www.download.com/. Note: Ad-Aware is free for personal use only. Do not install on a university-owned computer without first purchasing the license. Contact the help desk if you need assistance.
9. Be cautious with disks, CDs and other media
   • Viruses easily spread from computer to computer by sharing diskettes, memory sticks, CDs, and other portable media.
   • Avoid starting or shutting down your computer with a diskette or other media in the drive.
   • Label your diskettes and avoid sharing them with other computers.
   • Ensure that your anti-virus software checks diskettes each time they are accessed by your computer.
10. Backup your information
    • Backup your files on a regular basis. If you should encounter a virus that corrupts your system at least you will have a back up from which to restore your files.

Secluda Spam Filter

Spam, or junk e-mail, is a common source of viruses and worms. Spammers send out millions of e-mails to mail addresses they have harvested from other web sources, hoping to entice you into buying something. Visit the Microsoft At Home Security E-mail site and watch the video to learn more about spam and e-mail safety precautions.

Secluda is a software tool used on university-owned computers to block spam from arriving in your campus e-mail inbox. To learn how to use Secluda see Using Secluda. If you have additional questions about Secluda, contact Computing Resources at ext 4357.

If you are not using Secluda you may still be able to block some spam messages with your e-mail's Junk E-mail feature. Microsoft Outlook automatically sends suspicious e-mails to this folder. Its security level can be increased by clicking Tools > Options > Junk E-mails > High setting. After checking the contents of the Junk E-mail folder you can delete it by right clicking it and choosing Empty Junk E-mail Folder.