Computer Viruses: Take Action to Protect Your Data
Most computer virus outbreaks are preventable. Information Systems and Computing (ISC) reminds everyone at Penn to protect their system by following these simple recommendations:
- Back up your work. Keep backup copies of important papers, research projects, and other critical documents.
- Exercise caution with e-mail attachments. Do NOT open e-mail attachments, even from senders you recognize, unless you are sure about the contents. Viruses often attach and are sent automatically via a sender's address book without the sender's knowledge.
- Exercise caution accepting file downloads from strangers in chat rooms or when using instant messenger programs. These are common ways of infecting your system and may give anyone on the Internet unrestricted access to your computer, all keystrokes that you type, and all of your data files.
- Install current versions of Penn's supported anti-virus software. The software and configuration instructions are distributed on the PennConnect CD, available from the Computing Resource Center, or can be downloaded from the virus web site.
- Update your virus definitions daily (Windows and Mac). Anti-virus
software vendors make easy-to-install updated virus definition files available
regularly to combat new viruses. For instructions on updating your software
and for recent virus alerts, go to the virus
web site.
For Assistance
If you have a virus or need help downloading or installing anti-virus software, the following resources are available:
- Students in College Houses: Contact your Information
Technology Advisor (ITA).
- Students living off-campus, in Sansom East and West, and in the Greek
houses: Contact First Call (215) 573-4778 or visit the Computing Resource
Center (CRC), Monday through Friday, from 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM, at Suite
202 Sansom Place West.
- Faculty and staff: Contact your Local Support Provider (LSP). If you
don't know who your Local Support Provider is, consult the support
lookup table.
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