It’s one thing to lend your smartphone to a friend to make a quick call, or share a computer with your family at home. It’s an entirely different matter when a stranger gains remote access to one of your devices.
You can prevent that from happening by disconnecting your computer from the Internet when you’re not using it.
Staying connected online all the time is easy and convenient. But a 24-hour connection increases your chances of an attacker or virus scanning the network for an available computer. When you’re not using it, turn off your computer or modem, or disable the WiFi connection. Make sure you have your firewall enabled.
Speaking of firewalls, at Fordham, you can’t even log onto our secured network unless you have firewall installed. This precaution helps keep the networked and wireless connections on all of Fordham’s campuses secure. That’s why we ask you to authenticate (called Network Access Control, or the NAC), each month. We strive to keep our campus’s online environment space safe for you, 24/7.
Moreover, it’s good to get in the habit of disconnecting. Fordham IT staff often take walking meetings together. Our productivity and enthusiasm improves when we take breaks from our computers and the online world.