against scam and spam
With the ever-increasing flow of electronic information and transactions, computer users are more frequently at risk for breaches of privacy, computer-generated viruses, identity theft and falling prey to scams.
Information Technology Services (ITS) recommends that all Yale faculty, staff and students follow these guidelines to protect themselves and their work from scams and viruses. (See related story.) This is only a partial list of actions that computer users can take; additional information can be found at www.yale.edu/its/security/compsecure.htm.
* Back up your files. "The best protection for any computer problem is to have a good backup, whether you lose your hard drive, have a virus malfunction or someone steals your laptop," says H. Morrow Long, the University's information security officer. Automatic backup programs, such as Tivoli Storage Manager, are a good solution.
* Install anti-virus software on your work computer and the home computers on which you do Yale work. Yale has a license to Symantec Norton Anti-Virus software that is available at no fee to all Yale faculty, staff and students, and which can also be downloaded to home computers. "Even if you just log on from home to check your Yale e-mails, having this installed is important," says Lynna Jackson, manager of e-mail and calendaring services at ITS. (Free downloads are available at www.yale.edu/software/.).
* Never provide personal information (including bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers) to anyone who contacts you, and never send this information to anyone in an e-mail. "One of the most popular phishing scams is from people purporting to be from your bank, asking you to provide information to verify your account. When you provide the personal information they have requested, they can then drain your bank account," says Long. If you need to supply any personal or financial information over the Internet, be certain that you are doing so on a secure website. To reach this website, type in the URL address yourself: Never use an e-mail based link.
* Never respond to suspect e-mails. "We emphasize that if you suspect an e-mail is spam or a scam, do not reply, even in jest," says Long. "With the old-style money-laundering 'Nigerian scam,' for example, where someone asks you to help them get money out of the country and deposit it in your own bank, the scammers are serious, organized criminals."
* Be wary of the URL's in embedded e-mails. Verify any e-mail links prior to using them by putting your cursor on the link without clicking it. The URL address will appear at the bottom of the window and should be the same address as the one in the e-mail. "Often, in phishing scams, the Web address you see in the message looks real, but if you click on it, it takes you to a different web address," says Long. He notes that the newest version of Eudora warns users if the Web address listed in the message is different from the address to which the link actually connects.
* Keep your Net ID password private. "No one -- including business managers or ITS support providers -- needs to know the password for your Net I.D.," says Long. "This password provides access to a host of online data, including W-2 forms, course grades, Yale Health Plan and other personal information. University staff members are not to ask for or share their Net ID. passwords."
* Avoid using bank ATM cards and credit cards with a high credit limit for electronic transactions. ITS recommends that individuals maintain a low-limit credit card reserved specifically for this purpose.
* Delete attachments from unknown senders, and, if in doubt, verify any suspect attachments from known senders before opening. These sometimes contain viruses.
* Be very cautious about downloading free software, games or utilities from the Web. "There are no free lunches out there," comments Jackson. "Many downloaded programs automatically install Spyware or other programs that compromise your computer." Downloading software from Yale servers or well-known software vendors such as Apple, Microsoft and Symantec is fine, as long as you can verify that you are on these vendors' websites.
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