Computer Security
Antivirus Software
Installing antivirus software and configuring it so that it remains up-to-date is a requirement of connecting your computer to the college network. The University has a site licence for McAfee VirusScan which means you can use it completely free of charge. There are many free antivirus programs and we commonly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials.
If you have purchased a new PC the chances are that it may already have some form of anti-virus software installed on it. This software however only allows a limited subscription to anti-virus updates. It is our experience most people forget to renew their subscriptions therefore leaving their computer at risk. We therefore strongly recommend you use at least a free anti-virus product. Before installing any new anti-virus program you must remove any anti-virus software including the trial versions already on the computer. To remove the software go to Control Panel then Add Remove Programs select the anti-virus program from the drop-down list and click on Add/Remove.
If you have installed the McAfee Antivirus software it is important that the first thing you do after re-booting the computer is to update the virus definitions and set the software to automatically update the definitions once per day. You should periodically check that your software is being automatically updated by right-clicking on the VirusScan shield icon at the bottom right of your screen, selecting "About VirusScan Enterprise" and ensuring the "Created on" date is no more than a week old.
If for any reason you need to reformat your hard drive or carry out any procedure on your computer that either disables or deletes the virus checking software, it is your responsibility to ensure that the virus checking software is reinstalled on your computer and that the automatic update is set to at least once per day. If you are unsure on how to reinstall the virus checker please refer to Technical User Support, or email IT Services .
Computer Updates
Keeping your system software updated is essential to help protect both your machine and others on the network and, as such, is a required part of being connected in your room. Machines that are found to be insecure may be disconnected without notice. The University Computing Service provides a range of computer updates that you can download internally.
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000
Windows 95, 98, ME NT and 2000 are now unsupported by Microsoft and will not be allowed on the College network.
Windows XP and Vista
Software update management is built into Windows XP. The first time that it finds updates that apply to your system (usually quite soon after you install), a dialogue window will pop up and ask how you wish these to be dealt with. As long as the updates are applied soon after they are available, it is up to you to choose which method is used.
If you are using Windows XP or Vista we would recommend you upgrade to Windows 7or 8 if your computer is compatible with either of those versions.
Macintosh OS
Versions of MacOS earlier than OS X 10.5 (leopard) are no longer supported. You should upgrade the software and if it is a PowerPC computer replace it completely.
Linux/UNIX
Visit the University's UNIX Support page for instructions on Keeping a UNIX System secure.
Personal Firewalls
A firewall is a system that filters information between two networks. In a business, a firewall typically sits between the internal network and the internet and acts both to protect business information from being viewed from the internet and also to restrict certain internet sites from being viewed on the internal network.
A personal firewall does a similar job running on your computer: it prevents access from the network to your files and can also prevent programs running on your computer from accessing the network. In either case, it is important to realise that a firewall is only effective if it is configured properly and can be useless, or at worse a liability, if it is not. Christ's does not run a firewall between the college network and the University so you may wish to consider installing a personal firewall on your machine.
Windows XP comes with a built-in firewall which is enabled by default if it has at least Service Pack 2 installed. There are many (over 30) products available but Zone Alarm, Norton Personal Firewall and Sygate Personal Firewall are all good choices. There is an extensive guide to personal firewalls, including reviews, configuration tips and general advice, at The Firewall Guide. Note: If you do choose to use a personal firewall on the network, your machine is required by the University to respond to Computing Service machines. There are instructions available explaining how to configure ZoneAlarm to do this.
Web Browsers
There are many browsers available for various operating systems and it is a matter of personal preference as to which one you use. Some of the more popular include:
