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Email Services - Frequently Asked Questions:
General Information
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What are some general computer security tips?
Here are some general security tips. For information security matters please see the Information Security web site.
Several computer security tips:
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Back up your data and store backups in a different location from your
computer. (It's no accident that this tops the list. One of the single
biggest security problems is that data were not backed up.)
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Guard your laptop when you travel. Laptop thefts in airports are on the
rise. Don't lose sight of your laptop, especially during airport security
check-in.
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Physically secure your computer if it's not in a secure area. Be aware
that processor and memory chip thefts are becoming a bigger problem.
Contact security@isc.upenn.edu
for information on how to deter chip theft.
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Don't be surprised that e-mail can be easily forged. If you receive an
uncharacteristic message, consider the possibility of forgery. If you suspect
forgery, save the message and contact
security@isc.upenn.edu. Many forgeries
can be traced.
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Don't use e-mail for confidential matters. Unless you take special
precautions, there is not much more privacy in e-mail than there is when
you send a postcard through the mail.
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Be alert for scams. Con-artists try all kinds of techniques to get
people's passwords. Systems administrators would not ask you for your
password, so if you get a request asking you for your password or asking
you to change your password to a specific value, red flags should go up.
Also, be wary of unsolicited offers for technical computer help. Don't
allow just anyone to type commands on your computer you don't understand.
For information on internet frauds, see the
National Fraud Information Center web site.
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Make sure that you are not using unauthorized copies of commercial
software. Organizations (including universities) have paid fines for
software copyright violations.
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Choose a password that is hard to guess. (At least seven characters, no
dictionary words, use special characters (e.g. @, !, *, $, #) and a mixture
of upper and lower case characters). Weak passwords have been one source
of computer break-ins on campus recently.
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Change your password frequently.
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Make sure your computer is protected from power surges.
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Obtain the
current versions of anti-virus software.
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