Best Practices

US-CERT provides a detailed list of tips to develop safe computing habits.

Anti-virus

Gustavus recommends a current anti-virus product be installed and updated to defend against infections.

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/Virus_protection

Backups

All data must be stored in at least two places to ensure it is not lost. Gustavus provides Code42 CrashPlan Backup service to all Gustavus-owned computers.

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/CrashPlan

Full Disk Encryption

Gustavus recommends enabling full disk encryption to protect the data on your machine from offline access.

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/Disk_Encryption

Phishing and Social Engineering

Gustavus Technology Services will never ask for your password for any reason.

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/Phishing

Passwords

A strong unique password is recommend for all services. It is very important to not reuse your Gustavus password or any password across different services. A username and password are no longer considered a secure mechanism for securing your account. Gustavus recommends two-factor authentication

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/Passwords

Two-factor Authentication

Two-Factor Authentication adds an additional layer of security to your account by requiring an additional method for authentication such as a mobile device. Gustavus recommends enabling two-factor authentication on all accounts. At this time, Gustavus TFA is only available to employees and student employees.

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/Duo_Two_Factor_Authentication

Updates

Make sure to install all updates for your operating system and applications to ensure that it is protected against known vulnerabilities.

For more information visit: https://gustavus.edu/gts/Windows_Update and https://gustavus.edu/gts/Software_Update