University of Tasmania, Australia

The following advice is designed to provide a few ideas that can help reduce your exposure to a range of potential problems including data loss, viruses, adware and spyware.

Keep your system and applications patched and current

Newly discovered weaknesses in operating systems and application software are reported frequently - and it is important to minimise your exposure to these vulnerabilities.

• Visit software vendor websites to find out about notification services and how to obtain and apply software updates and patches.
• Subscribe to automatic software update services.

Manage your exposure to viruses

To get the most benefit from your antivirus software ensure it is updated regularly and is operating as intended.

• Use a good antivirus package that scans files from every source before they are opened or executed. Set it to automatically check for and install virus defintition file updates daily and run it continuously.
• Obtain software only from reputable suppliers.
• Be cautious about peer-to-peer sharing networks.

Backup your work

It's usually possible to reinstall applications without much trouble - but losing your work can be a major problem if you don't have a backup plan in place and working for you. To minimse the impact of data loss or corruption:

1. Make copies of your important information, documents and data on easily portable media
   (CD, DVD-ROM, thumb drives and external hard drives are ideal).
2. Store these copies in a separate location.

Stay informed

Developing some knowledge of computer security fundamentals is not onerous and is highly recommended.

• Be aware of University ICT security policies and strategies.
• Subscribe to a reputable virus information service.
• Attend security awareness seminars and workshops.