3 things you can do to protect your computer:

1. Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
   At Carleton, all computer labs and staff/faculty workstations have Symantec installed.   Symantec is available to staff and faculty for home use and to students in residence -> Download Symantec here
2. Keep up with software, operating system and security updates.
   When you get a notification to install the latest upgrade, do it.  Upgrades often contain patches that address security breaches and additional enhancements to security/functionality.
3. Configure your computer’s built-in firewall.
   Firewalls can detect and prevent unauthorized traffic coming in from the internet.  Here is an article on how to set up a firewall on your home computer.

As a Precaution: Back up your Computer

As a further preventative measure, back your computer up on a regular basis.  This way, if you are infected with a virus, it may not be quite so painful.

For staff and faculty, this means backing your work up on the W: drive.  The data on your computer is not backed up, whereas the W: drive is backed up on a regular basis.

For students, if you use a laptop or a home computer for your school work, you may want to invest in an external hard drive as a means to back up your work, pictures, music and files.

For more information on protecting your computer, please visit carleton.ca/ccs/security/.

After August 1st, if you wish to access your workstation from off campus, please use the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.

VPN software provides a secure, encrypted channel from your home to the campus and allows you to access resources that are restricted to on-campus use (for example, network drives).  VPN software is available for MS Windows, Apple OSX and Linux.

RDP Blocking for Increased Security
At CCS it is our mandate to protect computers and campus users against hackers and computer viruses.  We do so by blocking access to vulnerable services, databases, known virus ports and Microsoft Windows ports.

By blocking RDP at our internet border, we are providing further protection against brute force password attacks, denial of service, man-in-the-middle and keylogging viruses.  This combination of blocking RDP and using a VPN eliminates most off-campus threats to workstations.

If you have any questions regarding RDP and the VPN service, please contact the Service Desk.

How does this affect me?

If you purchased your laptop after 2003 it most likely uses the 802.11g and/or 802.11n wireless protocol and you will not be affected by this change.

If you own an older laptop that only supports the 802.11b protocol, you will no longer be able to connect to our wireless network. Your options are to use wired network port or upgrade your hardware.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this change, please contact the CCS Service Desk.

Update:  This issue has now been resolved.  Full service was restored at 8:45AM.

After August 1st, if you wish to access your workstation from off campus, please use the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.

VPN software provides a secure, encrypted channel from your home to the campus and allows you to access resources that are restricted to on-campus use (for example, network drives).  VPN software is available for MS Windows, Apple OSX and Linux.

RDP Blocking for Increased Security
At CCS it is our mandate to protect computers and campus users against hackers and computer viruses.  We do so by blocking access to vulnerable services, databases, known virus ports and Microsoft Windows ports.

By blocking RDP at our internet border, we are providing further protection against brute force password attacks, denial of service, man-in-the-middle and keylogging viruses.  This combination of blocking RDP and using a VPN eliminates most off-campus threats to workstations.

If you have any questions regarding RDP and the VPN service, please contact the Service Desk.

CCS will be performing an emergency outage on the Rideau Web Server in order to resolve on-going issues.

Full services will resume by 8:30 AM.