OUR VIEW: Your computer can’t get a flu shot

With the constant threat of viruses and hackers on the rise, students and faculty alike need to take preventative measures. This becomes especially important in lieu of the growing trend of identity theft. Without taking proper precautions, it is easy to fall prey to Internet predators.

As technology has increased and the benefits are becoming more apparent and appealing to the general public, the ability to destroy those benefits is also increasing. Hackers can mess up an unprotected computer with very little effort. New viruses are created on a daily basis, and holes in computer software are constantly being discovered.

It all sounds like a scene out of a terrible science fiction novel, but the truly scary thing is it exists today. However, it doesn’t need to be scary and you do not have to be a victim. Simple preventative measures will protect your computer from common attacks. Nothing is fool proof as hackers get more creative, but these measures will make your computer more secure.

The first step to protecting your computer is to install good anti-virus software. While this can be an expensive investment, it is well worth the money. Consider that a typical anti-virus software suite costs somewhere in the vicinity of $70. That is nothing compared to replacing an entire computer that catches a virus and is rendered useless.

But students at USU don’t need to empty their wallets on expensive anti-virus software because the school offers a free version of McAfee software. Once the anti-virus software is installed, frequently checking for updates will increase the safety of your computer.

A second important preventative measure involves the use of e-mail. This is one area where Internet predators and hackers alike take advantage of the uninformed computer user. E-mail is an easy portal where viruses can be uploaded onto a computer, but it doesn’t have to be so.

Protecting yourself from e-mail attacks is as simple as not opening mail from people you don’t know. Subject lines and the e-mail addresses themselves are great keys for detecting if an e-mail is from someone safe or potentially dangerous. Another way to reduce the amount of unwanted e-mails is to create a “junk e-mail account” that you give out on forms you are required to fill out but don’t really want to hear from. Often these forms give your e-mail address to other organizations that spam. By sending these to your “junk account,” you will never have to look at them.

If you are using a mail management program such as Outlook, disable the feature that allows you to view mail in a lower screen by merely clicking once on the e-mail. This feature increases the risk of catching a virus.

These simple measures will increase the safety of your computer. The biggest key to computer safety is similar to all safety measures: use common sense.