Secure Your Computer

With the growing threat of malicious software and identity theft (someone trying to steal your personal information so as to make purchases and do other things while pretending to be you), it is important to secure your computer with a password, and to "lock" your computer with that password when you step away from it. This will help protect you against hacker attempts to access your system, and from someone accessing your files when you are away from your computer or in the event it is stolen. Of course, you should also secure your computer with a cable lock and be wary of where you leave it!

And don't forget: always log out of whatever Simmons system you're using when you're done, whether it's a computer, the online registration system, or your email!

Set a Log-on Password

  1. Open the Control Panel (click Start -> Control Panel).
  2. If the Control Panel screen has a colored background and says "Pick a category" at the top, click Switch to classic view on the left.
  3. Double-click User Accounts.
  4. Click Change an account.
  5. Click the picture next to your user name.
  6. Click Create a password.
  7. Type a password in the first field, then retype it again in the second field. For tips on creating a secure password, please visit our Password Security page. In the third field you can enter a phrase that may remind you of your password. Click Create Password..
  8. Click Yes, Make Private. This will make your computer more secure by allowing only someone logged in as yourself or another administrator to access your files.

Setting Screen Saver Settings

You have set a password for your "account" on your computer. Now configure your computer to require that password in order to gain entry to your computer after the screensaver has come on.

  1. Right-click on the desktop of your computer. Click Properties.
  2. Click the Screen Saver tab at the top.
  3. Select the screen saver you would like to use from the drop down menu. Then select the wait time. We recommend 20 minutes. That is, after 20 minutes of inactivity, your computer's screensaver will start, and to use your computer again, you will have to enter your password. Select On resume, password protect. Click OK.


Setting Up and Securing a Personal Wireless Network

If you own a laptop that can attach to a wireless network, you can use that feature in a number of places on the Simmons campus.  Simmons has not yet added wireless coverage to the entire residence campus.  If you would like to use wireless in your home, or in your Simmons residence hall, you may do so by purchasing a wireless router.

If you have a wireless router, we urge you to configure its security features, especially the administrative password for it.  By default, if you plug the wireless router into the ethernet port in your residence hall room (or your DSL or cable modem at home), the router is set to broadcast a preset name (i.e. Linksys) and will allow anyone within range of your router access to your Internet connection.  Sharing your Internet connection with others will slow down your own access.  On campus, sharing your on-campus Internet connection with residents in near-by non-Simmons buildings is a violation of the Acceptable Use Policy (a prohibited use: "Allowing unauthorized access to the Simmons network through any computer, modem, or network device (including wireless access points).

To avoid sharing your Internet connection, and, critically, to minimize the possibility that you will expose your personal data to others who are connected to your network, secure your wireless router according to the manufacturer's instructions.  If you do not have the manual, check the manufacturer's web site.  For a good list of what changes you should make to your wireless router, see the Yale Wireless Security page; for general information about wireless routers, personal wireless networks, and security on a wireless network, see How Stuff Works: How WiFi Works.

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