Update your
operating system and applications

Security holes in software are often discovered, so the software developer usually distributes fixes/patches/updates
that address these issues. Virus and spyware scanning software also prompts you to update their definitions to detect more recent threats.

Scan for Viruses

UCLA provides Sophos Anti-Virus for free (www.bol.ucla.edu/software/sophos)
and we install it on the computers we issue, so I’ll assume that’s what you’re
using.

Scan for Spyware

UCLA provides Webroot Spy Sweeper for free (www.bol.ucla.edu/software/spysweeper).
Windows users should periodically scan for spyware…

Get a Second Opinion

No virus/spyware (aka malware) scanner detects all threats. To improve your chances of detecting and removing threats, or if you don’t have a virus/spyware scanner installed, try an online malware detection/removal utility.

• Trend Micro Housecall (Windows)
  http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

If you encounter anything puzzling or suspicious, contact me as usual.

1. Enable WPA (recommended) or WEP encryption on your router
   To oversimply, enabling encryption “password-protects” your wireless network. It’s kinda like your router and your computer doing a secret handshake before each transmittion. Yes, WEP and WPA can be hacked by moderately knowledgeable geeks. WEP can be hacked in minutes, but to do so is beyond casual Joe who just wants free internet. WPA is well… much stronger… so use WPA. If your router is so old it doesn’t offer WPA encryption, either use WEP (better than nothing) or buy a new router.
   Whichever one you use, always use a strong password (random is better) or the encryption becomes more or less useless.
   To enable encryption on your router, refer to the manual :oP. You’ll also need to configure the wireless profile on the computers connecting to the router.

Oh ummm… I guess that’s just the key thing for a relatively secure network. There’s a few other things you can try to make your network more secure, but I don’t mention them because they’re mostly crap. They don’t hurt though. It comes down to this:

• If Joe Shmoe wants to steal your internet, either of the afforementioned encryption methods is enough to keep him out.
• If Joe Shmoe is actually l337 h@x0r, he’ll quickly get through WEP and the other crappy “security measures” most articles suggest.
• It will be quite difficult or near impossible (not worth the effort) to get through WPA that has a strong key (“password”).

If all you do on the internet is read webcomics and blogs, you probably don’t have much to be concerned about, but if you manage any finances, consider using WPA encryption.

Remove unneeded startup items

Many applications run in the background unnecessarily and hog up system resources. If there are programs that automatically startup with Windows, you can disable this “feature” in some…

1. Dig around the program menus for “Preferences”, “Options”, “Settings”, or anything else that implies “You can change stuff about the program here”
   • If the program has an icon in the tray (lower-right part of the screen), right-clicking the icon may reveal a menu
2. Look for and uncheck any option that indicates “Run this program at Windows startup” or anything similar

Contact me if you can’t find the option or if you’re interested in disabling other startup/background items using alternative methods.

Run Disk Cleanup

This frees up some room on your hard drive by emptying the Recycle Bin and removing unneeded temporary and setup files.

1. Start the program from Start => Programs => Accessories => System Tools => Disk Cleanup
2. Select the default drive, C:, and hit OK
   • The program may take a few minutes to process. Enjoy a light snack.
3. Check all options except the last two (“Compress old files”, “Catalog files…”)
4. Hit OK and confirm the prompt
   • The program may take a few minutes to delete files. Enjoy another light snack.

Run Disk Defragmenter

Over time, your hard drive increasingly becomes “fragmented”. Without getting too technical, I’ll just say “defragmenting” your hard drive makes it run more efficiently.

1. Start the program from Start => Programs => Accessories => System Tools => Disk Defragmenter
   1. Make sure the default drive, C:, is selected.
2. Click the Defragment button

The process may take around an hour, so you may want to enjoy a meal or teach a class meanwhile.

Check for viruses and spyware

Viruses and spyware (aka “malware”) can slow down your computer by monitoring activity and/or communicating with other computers. I’ll cover this more in-depth in the next edition… Computer Maintenance, Part II: Security! :oO

Seating and Workspace

Seat you hips toward the back of the chair

Properly support your lower back to avoid leaning too far forward or slouching.

Position your keyboard and monitor directly in front of you

You shouldn’t have to twist your body or neck to use the keyboard or look at the monitor.

Set your monitor at the correct height and distance

Your monitor should be about your arm’s length away. The top of your monitor should be 0-3” above your eyes so that your view is at a slight downward angle.

Keep your wrists straight when typing

Your wrists should be straight, both in the forward/back and left/right axis. The top of your forearm should form a straight line to your knuckles. If you use a wrist wrest, use it only when you’re not typing. You may need to reposition your keyboard, flip the legs under them, or buy an ergonomic one.

Breaks

• Take a 1-2 minute break about every 30 minutes
• Move and walk around
• Focus your eyes on distant objects
• If your eyes feel tired, cover them with your palms

Software

Here is free software that periodically reminds you to take breaks:

• Workrave (Windows only)
  http://www.workrave.org/download/
• AntiRSI (Mac only)
  http://tech.inhelsinki.nl/antirsi/

Further Reading

The topic of computer/office ergonomics is quite broad, so I covered only what I think is most applicable to you. Here are resources I recommend if you would like to find out more:

• UCLA Ergonomics
  Apparently UCLA has its own ergonomics department. You can find ergonomics resources for more than just the office.
  http://www.ergonomics.ucla.edu/
• Lifehacker: Set up a healthy, usable workspace
  A good overview of an ergonomic workspace
  http://www.lifehacker.com/software/hack-attack/set-up-a-healthy-usable-workspace-256571.php

Why create strong passwords?

Pretend I’m a criminal (pretend)… I cracked your password. Now I can…

• Change your password.
• Access shared sensitive information on a network. If your account is part of a group, their data has also been compromised.
• Conduct illegal activity using that account. Don’t take it personally. I just prefer not to conduct illegal activity on my own account.
• Possibly access login information for your other, more important, accounts. I can view registration e-mails or have password reminders sent to that e-mail account if you used it to register for other accounts.

What can I do to increase my safety?

• Change your password periodically
  Viruses and spyware may find or intercept your login information. You can’t always tell if your login information has been compromised, so change your passwords every few months.
• Use different passwords for different sites
  If a password on one account is compromised, your other accounts won’t be automatically compromised.
• You can write down hints
  Write a sufficient hint, not the password. Keep them somewhere safe, like your wallet or a safe. A Post-It note on your monitor may seem like a fortress of security, but research indicates it’s deceptively easy to access. (Or use a password manager. Details at the bottom of this post.)

What’s a strong password?

Your password may not be as strong as you think. Widely available “brute force” password cracking tools make rapid attempts at guessing your password, often from “dictionaries” of default passwords, common passwords, English words and phrases, and literally every combination of characters depending on how patient the intruder is.

To increase your password strength…

1. Increase the length. Shoot for at least 8 characters.
2. Increase the variety of characters by mixing letters, numbers and symbols.
3. Increase the apparent randomness. Do not use words, names, or anything directly associated with you or the username (birthday, address).
4. Make it something you’ll remember. Passwords are intended to keep others from accessing your resources.

This information and the work involved in changing the way you handle your passwords may seem overwhelming. It may not be necessary to take all these measures, but please give the issue some thought and be aware the easiest targets are the complacent ones.

If this all seems like too much work, consider a popular option: Use a password manager. This is software that keeps track of your passwords, so you only need one password to access everything. Click here to see popular password managers for Windows and Mac.