IT Security Resources
User's Guide to Safer Computing
Security Musts! First Steps to Secure Your Computer
Students - Getting Started with Computer Security
Keep your operating system up to date
Use built-in automatic update features to patch holes in your computer's defenses and fend off network worms.
Stay safe on social networks
Do's and Don'ts for enjoying social networks in a secure manner..
Use a built-in firewall if it's available
Use a built-in firewall to protect your computer from unknown exploits.
Use Anti-Malware Application and keep it up to date
Use an Anti-virus program and keep it up to date to avoid known viruses, worms and trojans.
Use strong passwords everywhere
Use strong passwords both online and on your PC to prevent anyone from guessing them.
Protect your password
Keep your identity safe by ensuring that no one else knows your passwords.
Prevent Identity Theft
Protect yourself from Identity Theft and know what to do if your information is compromised.
Protect your personally identifiable information
Identify, remediate, and secure sensitive information (PII) that could be on your computer.
Keep your machine physically secure
Take steps to ensure that your computer, and the data inside of it, never falls into the wrong hands.
Don't use filesharing programs
To avoid trojans and legal liability, stay away from filesharing networks.
Be skeptical and avoid "phishing" scams
Protect confidential data by being skeptical online.
Make backups
Even if your computer is lost, you can save your data by making backups.
Sysadmin's Guide
Resources for System's Administrators.
IT Policies apply to all individuals who access or control Columbia University information resources.
For more information, see the Columbia University Information Security Office page
Reporting Security Problems
Send reports of security incidents, attacks, or questions to security@columbia.edu