Laptop Security

Scenario: Protecting Your Laptop at Home and Work

You have a laptop that you take back and forth between your home and various locations on campus. You want to know that your computer is protected both at home and on the campus network, and you want the solution to be easy to maintain.

What you can do

The following recommendations are listed in order from simplest to most complex; you can use as many of them as time allows to improve your computer's security.

Antivirus and anti-spyware software

Antivirus software and anti-spyware software help protect your computer from malicious software that can damage your data or operating system. The software can be configured to update itself and check for malicious software on a regular schedule, so that once it's installed you don't need to remember to run it yourself.

System and software patching

Modern operating systems such as Windows XP or Macintosh OS X make it easy to keep your operating system "patched" (i.e., updated with newly released files that make your computer more stable and secure). Many operating systems can be set to check for updates and install them automatically, like antivirus software does. Or you can have the system download the patches and prompt you for a decision on whether each patch should be installed. Specific directions for Windows 2000 / XP, Macintosh OS X, and several versions of Unix are available.

Password security

Make sure to keep your passwords safe by choosing good passwords, using different passwords for different accounts, and making sure that any software that asks for your password will encrypt it. The following tips will help you recognize when your password is encrypted:

• Web pages that use passwords should begin with https:// and a closed lock should be displayed in your browser window's border.
  
  
• CITES Express Email requires the use of secure authentication methods that encrypt your password while it's being transmitted. Many other email programs will also support the same types of secure email authentication; use them whenever possible.
  
  
• SSH and SFTP are secure replacements for insecure telnet and FTP when you need to log in to a computer remotely and/or transfer files.
  

If you have problems remembering your passwords, PasswordVault can help.

Personal firewall / home router with firewall

If your laptop is the only computer you use from home, you may want to consider installing personal firewall software on it. A personal firewall lets you communicate freely with the Internet but restricts outside attempts to get into your computer without your permission.

If you have more than one computer at home, you may want to consider a home router with a built-in firewall. The router's firewall would provide protection for the computers behind it, without the need to install and update personal firewall software on all of the computers you use.