Device Security & Virus Prevention

OS Updates (macOS & Windows)

OIT encourages all clients make sure the computer they are using for Williams related work, both OIT issued and personal, are running up to date operating systems. Click the appropriate section below for direction on how to check for updates on your device. We do recommend having a recent backup… Continue reading »

Mobile Device Security and Usage Guidelines

Mobile Device Security and Usage Guidelines   Mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) must be appropriately secured to protect yourself, to prevent them from being compromised, to reduce the risk of malware, and to protect Williams. Everyone should adhere to these general best practices when using mobile devices. Additional measures may… Continue reading »

LastPass password manager

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH MY CURRENT PASSWORD SYSTEM (OR LACK OF ONE)? Passwords are the most ubiquitous form of authentication on the internet today.  You probably know that you should have a strong, unique password for every online account you have. The problem How do you come up with a… Continue reading »

How Breaches Outside of Williams Affect You

How to keep your data safe when your accounts at major sites are compromised. Yahoo!, Dropbox, MySpace, Pandora, LinkedIn…these are just a few of the sites which have had data breaches. How do you keep your own data safe?  To start it is important to have strong and unique passwords!… Continue reading »

Preventing Device Theft

With an increasing amount of sensitive data being stored on personal devices, the value and mobility of smartphones, tablets, and laptops make them appealing and easy targets. These simple tips will help you be prepared in case your laptop is stolen or your smartphone is missing. Don’t leave your device… Continue reading »

Be Scam Aware

Contacted out of the blue? Sound too good to be true? Pause and think about it. Online financial scams are the same scams that have been in place for years just made easier through the use of email and social media.  Our scam awareness document helps you recognize and avoid… Continue reading »

2 Factor Authentication

Hackers want your password and it can be exposed through a number of methods like phishing, a compromised computer or through a data breach at another service like LinkedIn. Did you know we have a system available that will prevent people from accessing your Williams google account even if they… Continue reading »

October-NCSAM-phishing

    October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month Learn the small actions you can take that will make a big difference to your online security at home and at Williams. WEEK 1 – PHISHING – Don’t give up your usernames, passwords or financial information due to an… Continue reading »

Data Classification Policy and Usage Guidelines

Data Classification Policy and Usage Guidelines Whether you study, teach or work at the College, you possess information that should be protected from exposure.  Personal information has a lot in common with money – it has value, whether it’s your SSN, bank account number, or account usernames & passwords.  These… Continue reading »

Phishing Scams

Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals send an email that appears to be from a legitimate company or person and asks you to provide sensitive information (passwords, account numbers, etc) or direct you to fake websites. A few clues can help you spot fraudulent email messages or… Continue reading »

Domains Used by Online Providers At Williams

The following is a list of domain names of online providers used by Williams to provide various services to the campus community.   You may be asked to follow links to these providers’ web sites for certain types of transactions and it should be safe to do so.  The best way… Continue reading »

Laptop Encryption

All laptops supplied to Williams College employees will be encrypted by OIT when they are set up, with few exceptions.  Encryption ensures that stolen or lost laptops can not be accessed for data theft. Since the summer of 2015 Williams has been using three encryption models.  Windows laptops prior to 2015 have… Continue reading »

Java and other web plug and add-ins

Recently there have been many warnings in the news about vulnerabilities in Java.  Although no protection system is foolproof, OIT does provide several layers of security to help prevent computers on our campus from being exploited. Java, Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash all have web browser plug-ins (add-ins) which are optional… Continue reading »

Filtering Email With Your Mail Client

In this climate of increased spam you may find it useful to permanently filter email you receive from a specific source. Different email clients do this in different ways, listed below are some examples from common clients. If the “From” address is consistent you can create a rule to move… Continue reading »

Impulse

Impulse SafeConnect endpoint security policy management system This system does NOT do digital rights management (DRM) in any way. It does not scan all the files on a computer. It does not report any user activity back to the server or to the manufacturer. What it does do is check… Continue reading »

File Encryption

How to Encrypt Files for Secure Email Transmission or Storage Why Encrypt? Massachusetts Law requires that legally-protected personal financial information be encrypted if sent over public networks, such as the internet. You may also need to protect information your office considers confidential, regardless of any legal requirement. This document describes… Continue reading »

Sophos Antivirus

For Faculty & Staff Mac Instructions: College Macs already have Sophos Anti-virus installed.  If you find the need to reinstall the application you can do so from the Self-Service program located in your Applications folder. For home computers, the Mac already has some built in protection but we recommend you… Continue reading »

Spyware & Malware

Downloading something cool? Are you sure it’s not Spyware? What is Spyware? The term spyware covers a wide range of situations from the benign (browser cookies) to the malicious – applications which are indistinguishable from viruses. In fact the worst spyware applications are like viruses designed to make money, which… Continue reading »

VPN (Virtual Private Networking)

Williams VPN Running the VPN client allows you to establish a secure connection to the college network.  Your computer acts as though it were here on campus.  Among other things this allows a keyserver connection to run Williams licensed software from off-campus. The VPN connection is limited to Faculty, Staff… Continue reading »

  • 1
  • 2