Security at Work

Faculty, staff, and students share the responsibility of protecting the school's computing resources. This encompasses the security and protection of any hardware, software, Internet, and email resource. In this section, IT will provide up-to-date information and best practices on how to protect computing resources that you utilize at work or study.

If you have  any questions, please contact IT at pchelp@pacific.edu.

Basic understanding of information security that you need to keep your computer, and the school network safe from viruses and related computer problems. If we all use common sense when using school resources, computer slowdowns and security breaches can be prevented.

Use Strong Passwords

• User tip: Passwords should contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers or special symbols (like % or $).
• User tip: Passwords should never be something simple like the name of your son or your birth date.
  For more information, please visit the Strong Password Policy page.

Avoid Phishing Scams

Watch out for "phishy" emails. The most common form of phishing is emails pretending to be from a legitimate retailer, bank, organization, or government agency.

• User tip: No reputable company or tech support department will ask you to provide your username, password, social security number or other sensitive information in an email. Also, never click on Web links within unsolicited e-mail.

Avoid Hoaxes

Any email message from a friend or family member claiming to be urgent news that you should distribute around the world is almost definitely a hoax. However, even if it is legitimate, you should not use school resources to forward spam messages on to your friends and family.

• User tip: Don't use School Resources to forward spam.

Avoid Getting a Computer Virus or Worm

• User tip: Unless you are 100% sure of whom the e-mail came from and what the attachment contains, do not open or execute an email file attachment (i.e .Files with extensions of .exe, .bat, .com, .pif, and .vbs).
• User tip: Scan the attachment before opening
• User tip: Don't click on pop-up windows announcing sale, virus software and other deals when browsing the internet.
• User tip: Use the Reading Pane in Outlook to scan messages before opening them, if you think they are suspicious or may have viruses.

Keep Your Virus Detection Device Turned On

Antivirus scanning is only effective if it is turned on. If virus definition is out of date, please contact Information Technology.

• User tip: Do not disable or deactivate your antivirus scanning engine.

Do Not Install Unapproved Software

Even if software is free, it is not always free for use on School Resources machines. Downloading software from the Internet is a primary source of viruses, spyware and Trojans, and even legitimate software may not be compatible with other software on your computer and could cause conflicts.

• User tip: Don't install unapproved software. Check with the IT department before installing any additional software that you need for your work.

Beware of Instant Messaging

Instant messaging can be a great communication tool, but it can also be a way to transfer viruses and other malware or initiate phishing.

• User tip: Don't install instant messaging software on school computers. Check with the IT department before installing messaging software.

Protect Your Workspace

At any given moment, your desk may have memos or documents that contain sensitive or confidential information or you might have classified information displayed on your computer monitor.

• User tip: Be aware of who is nearby, and secure information assets by locking your PC before you leave your desk.
• User tip: Turning off your PC will prevent people from accessing it over the Internet.