When students travel to college, they usually bring tools to help further their education, including books, calculators and arguably the most popular, computers. Whether they are laptops or desktops, computers are an extremely handy resource. Students utilize them for basic tasks such as word processing, research, browsing the Internet and communicating via e-mail or other channels, and most, if not all, students consider the technology a necessity.
“Trying to go through college without a computer is like trying to fly a plane without wings,” said College of Arts & Sciences freshman Carl Samis.
Once students arrive on campus, set up their computers and connect to the campus-wide online network, another concern arises. Computers are usually on the expensive side, which makes protecting them a high priority. The main adversaries of online college students today are viruses and identity thieves. Thankfully, there are many preventative measures students can take to protect their prized PC.
Guarding against viruses online is quite simple once one acquires anti-virus programs and gets a grasp on tools like firewalls. According to Microsoft.com, the first step in avoiding viruses is to use an Internet firewall. Firewalls are the most basic and effective way to defend against hackers and other “worms” online. Even though popular operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS X have firewalls turned on by default, it is still important to double check on a personal computer.
Another option is to purchase anti-virus software. There are several on the market, including more popular programs such as Norton AntiVirus, Panda Antivirus, and McAfee VirusScan. For those who don’t want to pay to protect their computers, Avast! Antivirus Home Edition and AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition are quality software available for download. Marquette students are provided with free virus protection on Marquette’s Web site, with McAfee VirusScan available at any time for download.
Another common way to avoid viruses is to not open e-mail attachments, even from friends. If opening the attachment is a must, make sure the content is guaranteed to be safe and scan it for a virus. As far as file sharing goes, be wary. Music download sites such as Lime Wire and Kazaa are very popular among college students, but their files can be filled with viruses and there are several legal issues attached to the use of these services.
Freshman Brian Bell, a student in the college of Arts & Sciences and IT Services employee, said students can secure their computers by being conscious of the Web sites they are browsing.
“Don’t trust all Web sites, update your antivirus software, and use a secure Internet browser. I recommend Mozilla Firefox,” Bell said.
Freshman Karla Silva said she plays it safe when it comes to her computer use.
“I use Spybot, which is an excellent anti-virus program, and I do not browse Web sites with questionable security,” said Silva, a College of Arts & Sciences student.
The next common enemy of college students is identity theft. Online identity thieves can be dangerously creative in getting the information they want. The main way they work is through stealing personal information on computer databases using tools such as Trojan horse viruses. Other common methods include advertising fake job offers, browsing social networks, and penetrating organizations that store great quantities of personal information.
According to OnGuardOnline.gov, a major step that can be taken if identity theft is suspected is to close bank or credit accounts that are believed to have been interfered with. Another is to file a police report so that law enforcement officials can have the information they need to assist in the process. Finally, the theft should be disclosed to the Federal Trade Commission, a government division aimed at defending consumers.
Computers are very useful, important instruments that aid college students nationwide. Because of the nature of online crime today, students must be wary as they surf the Internet. In most cases though, simple steps can be taken to ensure that one’s private information and computer safety are never compromised.