Protect Yourself from Computer viruses, spyware, scams & spam

Computer viruses, spyware, and spam not only disrupt your work day with computer and network problems, but can result in identity theft. To avoid these problems, please follow these guidelines.

• Do NOT open or preview any e-mail message that looks suspicious. If you open an e-mail message or see a pop-up window message and it is asking for personal or financial information, do NOT click on any links.
• Protect your passwords and do NOT share them with anyone. Sharing account information with people you know or through “social engineering” are the most common reasons for identity theft. MSU will NEVER ask you for your passwords. If you fear an account may be compromised, change the password.
• Control access to your machine.
  Don’t leave your computer in an unsecured, public area, especially if you’re logged on. The physical security of your machine is just as important as its technical security.
• Be careful what you click

  Avoid visiting unknown websites or downloading software from untrusted sources.  These sites often host malware that will automatically, and often silently, compromise your computer.

• Be conscientious of what you plug in to your computer (flash drives and even smart phones can contain malware).
• Always log out – Don’t leave yourself logged in to any account that you are not actively using.  If you leave yourself logged in to a campus computer, the next person to sit down at that computer can gain access to your email, print credits etc.  You should ALWAYS log out of secure websites when your are finished using them.  You don’t want unauthorized people accessing any account you were previously accessing such as bank accounts, online retail accounts, email accounts etc.