At Missouri State University, we take computer security very seriously, and employ a variety of security measures to make your computer experience as worry-free as possible. From firewalls to informational flyers, we do our best to secure your information and spread awareness of the threats that exist and how to avoid them. If you have any security questions, concerns, or suspect that a security breach has occurred, please contact our IT Security Officer, Jim Taylor, who will be able to assist you.
Viruses
We've come a long way towards ending the threat of computer viruses since the first one was discovered in 1995, and the university employs a variety of antivirus security measures to ensure your data is safe. Every PC on campus is eligible to have Symantec Antivirus installed on it and should have the program already, which updates automatically to provide the most current protection against viruses available. We also combat viruses by enforcing attachment restrictions for email to make sure certain types of files cannot be sent or received, such as those which might contain viruses, and our networking department is constantly on the lookout for virus activity across the campus.
Students can also install Symantec Antivirus, either by contacting ResNET if they live in the dorms or by obtaining a Resource CD from one of the Computer Services Open-Access Labs located in Cheek, Glass, or Strong Halls. In these ways, we are able to provide the most safe and secure work environment possible to our users.
Although antivirus protection takes a proactive approach to block and protect your computer as much as possible, there may be times when your computer manages to get infected. As a result, your network connection may have been disconnected. Symantec provides a way to manually download the latest definition files in order for you to clean your computer. From a different computer, go to Symantec's Intelligent Updater web page and follow the instructions. Copy the downloaded files to the infected computer to remove the virus. Note: this procedure will not restore your network connection. Contact the Help Desk or your Distributed User Support Specialist for assistance.
Spyware
Viruses have become, by and large, less of a threat in the last two years due to antivirus measures, but spyware and its variants have taken up the roll of threatening our security. One of the recent additions we have made to our security measures was the purchase of SpySweeper, a real time anti-spyware program that checks incoming and outgoing traffic on your computer for spyware. Missouri State has also partnered with a blacklist agency that maintains a list of email addresses and email providers that are known to send spam and pass on potentially dangerous emails. By employing these and a variety of other methods, Missouri State continues to ensure that your computer is as safe as possible.
How to Stay Secure
There are a few easy ways to improve and maintain the security of your Windows PC, the first of which is making sure your Windows Updates have been run recently and are kept up to date. To do this, you simply open Internet Explorer and access the Tools drop down menu. Click on Windows Update and Microsoft's site will check to see what updates you need, then present the option for you to download and install them.
Make sure that your antivirus is updated as well--Symantec is denoted by a small golden shield, generally located at the bottom right of your screen next to the clock--by checking the Virus Definitions File Version. This is located in the main Symantec Antivirus window when you open the program, just at the bottom next to the button LiveUpdate. If you click LiveUpdate, this will update your virus definitions to the most recent ones, giving you the most current protection available.
Check your firewall and make sure it is on. This firewall will prevent many viruses and various forms of spyware from communicating with the outside world, thereby protecting your data. To do this, simply access the Control Panel in the Start menu of Windows. Double click on the icon labeled Security Center and then click on the Windows Firewall. Make sure it is on and your system will be more secure for it.