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Connecting to the Rutgers University Network by wireless access or by open data jacks exposes your laptop to all of the other systems using it. To prevent your laptop from being exposed to malicious activity such as viruses and worms, and to prevent your system from spreading problems that you might not be aware of, various steps should be taken to secure it. An unprotected system can easily become infected or hijacked and begin to attack other systems on the network. Systems that perform malicious activity or violate the Acceptable Use Policy may be blocked from the network.
It is recommended that you protect your system by keeping the operating system patches up to date, using a virus protection program, and by using a firewall. Keep in mind that secured services, those services that encrypt your data as it passes over the network, should be used whenever possible to prevent your network traffic from being intercepted and viewed.
Information on operating system patches for various types of computers can be found at: http://www.camden.rutgers.edu/HELP/General/security.php
The Windows Update website is located at: http://www.windowsupdate.com and instructions for setting up automatic Windows updating can be found at:
http://mssg.rutgers.edu/security/windows/autoupdate.asp
Information on RADS and the Trend Micro virus scanner, which is free to Rutgers University students, faculty, and staff can be found at:
http://software.rutgers.edu/
The Windows built-in firewall can be configured by following the instructions at:
http://mssg.rutgers.edu/security/windows/icf.asp
Information on the secure services available for protecting email, ftp, telnet, and other services can be found at:
http://www.camden.rutgers.edu/HELP/General/sservices.php
Spyware may also affect the performance and security of your laptop. Ad-aware, a utility for detecting and removing spyware from your system, can be downloaded from:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/
If you need further assistance protecting your laptop on the wireless and open data jack networks, please fill out the below form.
Reminder: If you don't include your name or your email address, we will be unable to respond directly to you.
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