Protecting the data on your computer

The following are steps you can take to protect yourself against data loss:

• Back up your data to a reliable back-up solution. This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent losing your data. A very popular back-up solution for all operating systems is Crashplan. Time Machine is also excellent for OSX. Consider paying for online back-up solutions, or rotate back-ups so that at least one is always off-site. Rotating your back-ups mean you have more than one set of back-up media and you use them in rotation (typically a week about). Keep the one that is not on the computer somewhere where it will be safe if the building burns down or (more likely) you get burgled and they take your back-ups along with your computer.
  
  
• Set up your computer so that your operating system and as many other applications as possible are patched automatically.
  
  
• Use programs such as Secunia Personal Software Inspector to notify you when new versions of your software are available to be installed.
  
  
• Try to avoid (or uninstall if they are already running), vulnerable programs such as Flash and Java. While both Flash and Java are widely installed, you may find that you can remove them with little to no inconvenience. Note that some online services still rely on Flash (e.g. things like Sky Sports, TVNZ and TV3 on demand). If you need these, try accessing them through the Chrome browser which comes bundled with its own version of Flash.
  
  
• Always use the newest browser versions - don’t get stuck using IE8!
  
  
• Install ad blockers on all your browsers. A very popular ad blocker is uBlock Origin, and it’s available on Chrome and Firefox.
  
  
• Be wary of emails that contain attachments. Be especially wary of emails that prompt you to take urgent action or which provide links to what looks like the University's login page. Be wary, even if the email appears to be from someone you know, because emails can be forged and email accounts can be hacked.
  
  
• Not sure about a file or site - think it might be suspicious? Check it out on Google’s VirusTotal. VirusTotal is a free service that analyses suspicious files and URLs and can help determine if a file or site is malicious. Note, new malware may not show up immediately.
  
  
• Use Adobe Reader’s security features. Adobe Reader is actually pretty safe if you make use of the available security settings. For Adobe Reader DC for Windows PC’s, use Protected View for files from potentially unsafe locations. When a PDF is opened in Protected View, you can view the PDF, but not do much else. A yellow bar will display on top of the Reader DC window. Click "Enable All Features" to exit the Protected View.