Starting up a Security Class for Students

1. Starting up a Security Class for Students Created by: Beth Byrnes Larry James Zac Reimer For Information Services University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2. Identifying the Need • In spite of required applications, constant issues with spyware, trojans and other malware. • Already doing one on one instruction during pick-up. • Spending all our time doing clean-up on Windows computers. • No current resource for students to get the basics • Something needs to be done to reach more people.

3. Creating the Class • What ‘has to’ be in the class? • Try to keep it under an hour • Get a good space to have it • Advertise • Get input from: • Computer Help Center • University Networking • University Network Security • University Housing • ResNet Student Workers

4. Security For Beginners How to keep your computer safe on the Internet

5. Main Topics • Microsoft Updates • AntiVirus • Firewalls • Anti-Spyware • Physical Security • Passwords • Best Practices

6. Microsoft Updates • Should update from “Windows Update” to “Microsoft Update”. • Should be set to “auto”. • Decide if any “optional” updates are needed. Ex. Windows Media Player. • Should be able to un-install any updates that cause problems.

7. AntiVirus • Sophos – UNL has Campus-wide License and a local update server. • McAfee • Symantec/Norton • Trendmicro • AVG – no longer available ‘free’ • Avast • Kapersky (highly rated) • Many others

8. What’s the BEST AntiVirus? • All AV programs have Pros and Cons • Typical Pros • Automatic updates of virus files • Automatic handling of infections • Quarantine of infected files

9. What’s the BEST AntiVirus? • Typical Cons • Can be resource hogs • May not find new variants • May not be able to clean/quarantine/delete viruses it finds

10. What’s the BEST Antivirus? Remember: “Any AntiVirus is better than NO AntiVirus.”

11. Firewalls On or off campus, the Windows firewall should be all you need. But it has to be on.

12. Firewalls • Firewalls are ‘built-in’ to packages like: • Norton Security Center • McAfee Security Center • Windows Live OneCare (requires special exception on the UNL ResNet.)

13. Firewalls • There are lots of free ‘stand alone’ firewalls available. • ZoneAlarm • OnlineArmor • Comodo • Sunbelt • PCTools Firewall Plus

14. Anti-Spyware/Anti-Malware • Windows Defender is ‘built-in’ to Windows Vista. For XP, it’s getting less useful as time goes by.

15. Anti-Spyware/Anti-Malware • Many available free to download • SuperAntiSpyware • Preferences>Scanning control check two boxes • “Close Browsers before scanning” • “Terminate memory threats before quarantining” • SpywareBlaster • Spybot Search and Destroy • Don’t install “Tea Timer”

16. Physical Security • Keep your dorm room locked. • Even if you’re gone for “just a minute”. • Keep hold of your laptop when you’re out and about. • Use a ‘good’ password. With a different one for the ‘admin’ account.

17. Passwords • What’s a ‘good’ password? • Not your name. • Not your unlid number. • Not ‘huskers’ or ‘huskerfan’. • Not your birthday. • Not anything someone could guess.

18. Passwords • A good password is a random string of letters, numbers and characters that you can remember easily.

19. Best Practices • Don’t open email from someone you don’t know. • Don’t open attachments if you’re not sure what they are and what they’ll do. • Keep your Browser Security level set to “Medium High”. • Regularly scheduled manual updates and scans. • Keep abreast of changes, new security tools and practices. • And if you get a pop-up that says something like “Exploits have been detected on your computer. Click here to download a program that will fix them.” DON’T DO IT!

20. Phishing • You might get an email from your credit card company, your bank, ebay, paypal, or someone else asking you to ‘update’ or ‘confirm’ your account information. Especially your password and/or account number. They may want you to reply to the email or will have a web link for you to click. • This is Phishing. They’re trying to get you to give them your account/identity.

21. Phishing • No legitimate business does this. • Ebay doesn’t do this. • Paypal doesn’t do this. • Visa doesn’t do this. • Nobody does this. • Even if you think it is real, don’t reply to the email, don’t click on the link. It may say ‘paypal.com’, but probably goes to a bogus site. Contact the company by typing the correct URL into the address bar of your Browser.

22. What if your computer is still infected? • What do you do if your Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware finds something that it can’t clean, can’t quarantine and can’t delete? • Or worse yet, if it finds them and says it has cleaned/quarantined/deleted them, but when you scan again, they’re still there?

23. What if your computer is still infected? • Bring it to the folks at the ResNet office or the Computer Help Center. We can help. • ResNet office is in the back of the Sandoz Computer Lab. 472-3535. http://resnet.unl.edu/ • Computer Help Center is in the 501 Building. 472-3970 http://www.unl.edu/helpdesk/

24. What We’ve Learned • Don’t schedule anything after the class • Smaller classes are better • Put the details on the ResNet website for later reference • The class is as dynamic as keeping a computer secure.