H1N1 isn't the only virus you should be worried about
Karli Miller
Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: News
Whether it's facebook, online shopping, e-mail, downloading music or just surfing the web, students are constantly connected to the Internet. Preoccupied with an email or replying to a facebook message, cyber security is not usually the first thing that comes to mind, but it should be.
"Last year, we received almost 2,400 alerts for computers on our campus network that were infected with some type of malware. We've had over 600 notices so far this fall. The majority of these notices are for student computers. We see password stealers, fake antivirus software, and trojans like 'moniker' and 'torpig' that monitor keystrokes, download and execute arbitrary files and periodically send the collected information to a remote user over the Internet," said Information Technology Systems/Services' (ITSS) Tech Manager, Sally Bradt.
Online shopping is quite popular among the college community. Whether it is buying textbooks online, a plane ticket home, or virtually shopping at The Buckle, students may not realize that they could be at risk of identity theft.
Students can take steps to prevent identity theft. Through Wells Fargo, students can get a specific online credit card free of charge. They are encouraging students to start being proactive, and take steps to protect their identity as well as their savings. This way if your identity is stolen, only what's on the credit card is lost, not the entire savings.
"I buy my books online, but I always go through Amazon. I do this because my book may be coming from a stranger, but my credit card information is only given to Amazon, it serves as a middleman," senior Brett Bozyk said.
Sometimes it is hard to know whether a site is secure or not. A couple of ways to ensure the security of the site is by looking for the lock icon on the lower right hand corner of the browser. Another way to ensure security is to look for https, rather than http; the "s" stands for secure.
Viruses are a big issue, and an obvious way to prevent them is to install antivirus hardware into your computer. However, many neglect to keep their software updated. It takes time to do, and it often seems like a bother, but those weekly updates could really save a lot of damage.
"Last year, we received almost 2,400 alerts for computers on our campus network that were infected with some type of malware. We've had over 600 notices so far this fall. The majority of these notices are for student computers. We see password stealers, fake antivirus software, and trojans like 'moniker' and 'torpig' that monitor keystrokes, download and execute arbitrary files and periodically send the collected information to a remote user over the Internet," said Information Technology Systems/Services' (ITSS) Tech Manager, Sally Bradt.
Online shopping is quite popular among the college community. Whether it is buying textbooks online, a plane ticket home, or virtually shopping at The Buckle, students may not realize that they could be at risk of identity theft.
Students can take steps to prevent identity theft. Through Wells Fargo, students can get a specific online credit card free of charge. They are encouraging students to start being proactive, and take steps to protect their identity as well as their savings. This way if your identity is stolen, only what's on the credit card is lost, not the entire savings.
"I buy my books online, but I always go through Amazon. I do this because my book may be coming from a stranger, but my credit card information is only given to Amazon, it serves as a middleman," senior Brett Bozyk said.
Sometimes it is hard to know whether a site is secure or not. A couple of ways to ensure the security of the site is by looking for the lock icon on the lower right hand corner of the browser. Another way to ensure security is to look for https, rather than http; the "s" stands for secure.
Viruses are a big issue, and an obvious way to prevent them is to install antivirus hardware into your computer. However, many neglect to keep their software updated. It takes time to do, and it often seems like a bother, but those weekly updates could really save a lot of damage.
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