OUHSC Information Technology Department


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Security Awareness
Important Tips

Do's and Don'ts

  • Do use anti-virus software and keep it updated. You are required to use an anti-virus program and keep the virus definitions updated.

  • Do not open email attachments, unless you have contacted the person that it came from and verified that they sent the message! Although it may appear to be from a friend or co-worker, it may not be. Most viruses spread by grabbing the address's from the address book and sending itself to everyone in it.

  • Do stay clear of so called 'required downloads' and patches. Be wary of any website that requires you to download software to view a page, unless it's something familiar like a Flash plug-in or Acrobat Reader. The file may contain a virus, a trojan horse, or some type of auto-dialer.

  • Do keep your operating system up to date. Microsoft issues many critical updates to fix these flaws. Run the Windows Update program once a week and whenever Microsoft issues a warning. For assistance, contact the Service Desk.

  • Do check announcements of patches/alerts to make sure they're not fake. A phony warning could cause you to delete harmless files and then forward the message to others, clogging email servers and causing virus-like damage in the process.
  • Do not reply or unsubscribe to SPAM, this only verifies that your email address is valid and then it can be sold on the Internet. Delete SPAM immediately.