Computer safety

On this page:
Computer Safety | About SPAM | Back it up | Transferring files from one computer to another |

Keep Your Computer Safe

You need to be proactive in protecting your computer from viruses, information theft, and hackers. Here are some steps:

    a) Use good anti-virus software such as one of the following:
       -Norton Anti-virus is free to all U of T students -->webpage
       -AVAST Home Edition Anti-virus is free for all, just as good, and uses fewer system resources -->webpage

    b) Use a good Firewall like ZoneAlarm

    c) UPDATE IT!
       -Keep your Windows and anti-virus software up-to-date - check once a week.
       -you must use Internet Explorer to use the Windows Update site. This is the only time you should use IE (see below).
       -both Norton and AVAST have an automatic update feature - use it.

    d) BE SMART!
        -never open an email attachment that you aren't expecting, even if it's from someone you trust. If it's from a friend, email them back in a new email (don't hit reply) and ask them to confirm they sent it.
        -no legitimate company sends email with patches, updates, or requests for personal information. Delete these emails immediately.
       -never click on any link from a spam email (junk email), even if it says doing so will remove your email from a "list". Doing so simply confirms to the spammer that your email works and will send more junk!

    e) If possible, do not use Microsoft internet products such as Internet Explorer and Outlook/Outlook Express; these products are responsible for spreading 95% of the viruses and worms. Instead, use Mozilla Suite, or Thunderbird and Firefox (see my free software list)

    f) Keep it clean: don't install software you don't really need. if you do, be sure it's not spyware.

    g) Use only high-quality, reputable software (see my free software list)

About SPAM

SPAM comes in two main forms: 1) advertising something, and 2) "please forward" emails.
Delete them; do not forward.

1) Junk email advertising is a problem. Once you are the target of SPAM, there's not much you can do, other that "junk mail filtering". Never click on any link in a spam email, even it it says doing so will remove your email from a "list". Doing so simply confirms to the spammer that your email address is legitimate and you will subsequently receive more junk! If you do get a lot of junk email, you should (if you can) turn off the display of graphics in your email program. Often, simply viewing a graphic in an email, will send a message to the spammer confirming that you've read the email. Hence, your email becomes more valuable to the spammers, and it is put on a list to be sold. (This is one of the main reasons I use Mozilla based email software - it can strip html and graphics from spam, protecting your email from spreading between spammers. See my free software page)

How do they get my email?

Your email address is usually harvested. Spammers have automated software that searches the internet for email addresses (looking for the "@" symbol). If you've ever posted in an online forum, or have a web-page with a link to your email address, or even a PDF document online with your email address in text form, your email address can be harvested. To avoid this, use a disposable account to post in forums (or an account that you only use for online purposes), and keep your 'real' email off the internet. For instance, whenever I register software, purchase something online, post in a forum, or do anything online that asks me for my email, I use a free Yahoo email account. I don't use Yahoo for any other reason and check it only if I'm expecting a response. Hence when I get lots of spam in my Yahoo inbox, I just delete it all. If I get too much spam, I simply abandon the account and start another. I NEVER enter my real email online.

2) Don't play the "Please Forward" game.

"Please forward" emails could be about anything, but usually ask you to forward to as many people as you can. They are NOT legitimate. They ARE hoaxes. Sometimes it's a nice feel-good poem about friendship, a petition, research on tracking email, etc, etc... At some point, you are asked to forward or pass on the email. Some forms of this request may be:
    -please forward to those you care about, to let them know it
    -if you don't forward this email, you'll have bad luck
    -if you forward this email to [X] number of people, Microsoft [or some company] will pay you [X] amount of dollars.
    -this is the real thing! My friend is a lawyer and he says it's legit [or some variant]
    -please sign this petition for [some cause] and forward it...

With all "please forward" email campaigns, you're best to just delete them, as it is a waste of resources and time. The volume of these kinds of email is enormous - second only to spam, and has the same negative effect on internet traffic, contributing to the clogging of servers and email hosts around the world. Economists estimate junk email costs the N.American economy billions each year. (Most IT professional view Spam and "please forward" emails as one and the same). It costs money to serve email traffic, and it is estimated 30% or more of that traffic is junk email. See http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7933247%255E15318,00.html

If you are unsure if an email campaign you receive is a hoax, here are a few hints:

a) if it asks you to forward it, it's a hoax. No legitimate business or organization uses this method because of the negative effects forwarding emails creates. A more legitimate method is to send an email with a link to an online website where you can enter your name on a petition. (Remember, never enter sensitive personal information online!)

b) Do a Google.com search for the subject and the word "hoax". For the example below, I searched "MADD email petition hoax" to find out about it.

Example:
"Re: can you help?" petition from MADD (Mother's Against Drunk Drivers)

This email contains a poem written from the perspective of a young girl killed by a drunk driver. At the bottom of the email, the recipient was asked to sign their name to signify their support (for MADD) and forward to as many as possible. Once there were 5000 "signatures" on the email petition, it would be forwarded to MADD.

While the poem was touching, the petition was a hoax. While signing it signified your good intention, the petition is of no consequence and/or aid to MADD, and, sadly, cost MADD money and resources as they repeatedly answered requests from people inquiring about the "petition". More info:

http://www.urbanlegends.com/ulz/madd.html
http://www.madd.org/aboutus/0,1056,1219,00.html

BACK IT UP!

Make regular back-ups (weekly) on CD-RW. They can be formated to be used like a floppy or hard drive, therefore making incremental back-ups with EZBack-it-up possible and FAST. Use two or three CD-RWs to have multiple back-ups at the same time (i.e., "Week 1 CD-RW", "Week 2 CD-RW" and "Week 3 CD-RW") Once you've burned Week 3, the next time use the Week 1 CD again. Not only will you have multiple back-ups if one CD fails or gets damaged, but you'll have multiple versions of backups.

Make monthly (or end-of-term) back-ups on permanent CD-R. Keep a copy of the CD at a location outside of you home (i.e., at work, or at school). This will save you in the event of fire or theft.

What to Back up:

    -"My Documents" (and loose files from your desktop, if any)
       TIP: Rather than keeping loose files on your desktop, create a folder in your "My Documents" folder and call it "unfiled". Then, make a short-cut to "unfiled" on your desktop. Put all those loose files there and keep your desktop clean.

    -email
        -Outlook (Express): backup the entire outlook folder, or choose export from the outlook menu
            -you can also Tools->accounts export settings to save your login/dialup settings
            -it may be necessary to export each mail account separately - I'm not sure, I don't use MS
       -Mozilla or Thunderbird: backup your profile folder
             -Windows 9x/ME location: C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla (or "Thunderbird")\profiles
             -Windows 2000/XP locations: C:\Documents and Settings\[userName]\Application Data\Mozilla [or "Thunderbird"]\profiles

    -Your internet favorites, or bookmarks
       -IE: choose "export" from the IE "file" menu, or back-up the entire "Favorites" folder
       -Mozilla/Firebird: backup your profile folder (as above):
             -Windows 9x/ME location: C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla [or "Phoenix"]\profiles
             -Windows 2000/XP locations: C:\Documents and Settings\[userName]\Application Data\Mozilla [or "Phoenix"]\profiles

   -your Windows Address book if you use it (do a search for "*.wab") Or, open your address book and choose export
    -(your Mozilla/Thunderbird address book will already be saved if you backup your profile as above)

    -MS Office templates you've created:
        -Windows 95/98 location: c:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\
        -Windows 2000/XP location: c:\Documents and Settings\[userName]\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

    -any other files you may know about

Transferring files from your old computer to a new one

1) Create a folder on your old system and move*/copy ALL files you need to transfer to it:
    *move only if you will not be using the system again, otherwise copy the files and leave the originals where they are.

    -My Documents (and loose files from your desktop, if any)

    -email (backup the entire outlook folder, or choose export from the outlook menu)
            -you can also Tools->accounts export settings to save your login/dialup settings
            -it may be necessary to export each mail account separately - I'm not sure, I don't use MS

    -Your internet favorites, or bookmarks (choose "export" from IE or back-up the entire "Favorites" folder)

   -your Windows Address book (do a search for "*.wab") or open you address book and choose export

    -MS Office templates you've created:
        -Windows 95/98 location: c:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\
        -Windows 2000/XP location: c:\Documents and Settings\[userName]\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

    -any other files you may know about

    -burn to CD, or if you only have a floppy drive, see further steps below:

2) Compact all files
    -use Winzip or 7-zip to create a compressed file of all your documents you want to transfer
       -(or you can do separate compressed files for documents, email, etc)

3) Split compressed file(s) to fit on floppies
    -Use hjsplit to split the compressed file(s) into 1.4 Mb sizes that can be copied to floppy.

4) Transfer files to your new computer (assuming Windows is already installed)
    -then use hjsplit again to join all files back together.
    -uncompress files (using winzip or 7-zip) and drag then to their new home
       -for email & address book, use the new software's "Import" feature if it has it.

~ What if the only removeable media on you old computer is a floppy drive, and you new computer doesn't have a floppy drive at all?
    Well, then you need a friend with a floppy drive and a CD-R drive, and have him or her copy the files from floppy to CD. Or, you can network the two computers together - but your on your own for that.

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