CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA VARIOUS STEPS FOR PROTECTING COMPUTERS DISCUSSEDCalifornia AggieIs your computer safe from the prying eyes and hot little hands of roommates, acquaintances and complete strangers? Follow these three tips to prevent physical theft of your computer, and to help ensure that the personal information stored on your computer remains private.

Label it and lock it down


Physically secure your laptop or desktop computer to the desk where it sits. You can purchase a cable lock - similar to a bike lock - at the UCD Bookstore Computer Shop or any tech-supply store for around $30. Simply loop the steel security cable around heavy furniture and lock it back to your computer. Laptops usually have a built-in key lock for this purpose; for desktops, you can purchase a "security spot" that adheres to your monitor and provides a base for the lock. Visit www.securtech.com for costs.


Label your computer so it can be identified if stolen or lost. Mark it with your phone number or e-mail address or purchase security plates for around $20 from places like www.stoptheft.com or www.securitrac.com. Aluminum security plates adhere to your computer and leave a permanent tattoo on your machine if removed. Registration with a tracking and recovery service is included with the plates.


Maximize your Passwords


Protect sensitive Word documents by requiring a password to open the file.


Prevent others from accessing your computer files by setting up a user account and requiring a password at login. Be sure to turn off the "Guest" account to prevent an anonymous user from logging on.


Set your computer to request a password to get out of sleep or screen-saver mode. This prevents other people from accessing your personal information if you've left your computer unattended.


Never leave your password settings "saved" on your computer. This defeats the purpose of a password. Create a complex password that would not be easy for people to guess.


Consult your operating system's "Help" function or call IT Express at 754-HELP if you need help setting up these security safeguards.



Secure confidential information


Minimize the amount of confidential information you store on your computer. As a general rule, do not store your Social Security number, driver's license number, date of birth, bank account numbers, financial records or passwords on your computer.


Store confidential information on portable media, such as a CD, flashdrive, ZIP disk or floppy disk, rather than on your hard drive. Secure the portable media in a locked cabinet when it is not being used.



For more information on protecting your computer and personal information against theft and other security threats, visitsecurity.ucdavis.edu, the campus Computer and Network Security Web site.


This column is provided to you by the student writers of Information and Educational Technology. For questions and comments, please contact ietpubsjr@ucdavis.edu.