Windows Security Tips

This site provides security tips and recommendations for users of Windows operating systems (all versions) from Microsoft.

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Personal Responsibility

Every computer user at the Georgia Institute of Technology is responsible for their own system's security and use. Details of this policy can be found in the Information Security Network Usage Policy Site.

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Computer Viruses & Trojans

Computer Viruses and Trojans are some of the greatest security risks for the Windows environment. Most anti-virus products can detect and remove both viruses and trojans. The McAfee Anti-Virus licensed by Georgia Tech keeps up-to-date by downloading from a Georgia Tech update site automatically.

Installing anti-virus is the least intrusive and bothsome way you can enhance your computer's security. Many people in the current internet community consider not running and maintaining anti-virus irresponsible.

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System Security

Personal firewall software is the best method currently available for controlling your computer's activity. Depending on your choice and configuration of firewall software, this software can be very unobtrusive to incredibly annoying. Please check the Information Security Personal Firewall page for more information.

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Browser Security

For people wishing to take greater interest in securing their system for browsing the web, please considering the following points:

• Browser Choice: Most anyone will agree that two browsers currently rule the web: Internet Explorer (IE) and Netscape. Both browsers have security holes discovered on occasion. However, IE has significantly more holes reported than Netscape. Microsoft notes regularly that they have tightly integrated IE into the Windows operating systems. In addition to more seemless operations, this means that any program that subverts IE is more likely to gain significant operating system access (probably using Active X controls).
• Java Applets and Scripting: While Java has significantly greater security than Active X, some slight risk still exists. Java applets are generally more secure than Java scripts (suprisingly enough). When accessing questionable sites, disabling Java may be advisable. This level of security can be VERY intrusive to the web surfing experience.
• Cookies: Cookies are not programs. They are not, by nature, a security risk. However, they can compromise your password for specific a website if the site stores its password in a cookie on your system improperly. Additionally, cookies can significantly compromise your online privacy. Neither IE nor Netscape provide adequate cookie management. Various freeware and shareware programs provide significantly greater cookie control without the significant web surfing impact you would suffer from disabling cookies outright.

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DISCLAIMER: Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes nor is intended to constitute an offer, inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not represented to be error free. Any links to non-Georgia Tech information are provided as a courtesy. They are not intended to nor do they constitute an endorsement by the Georgia Institute of Technology of the linked materials.