Maintain technology, maintain work

Devang JoshiBy Devang Joshi

With another semester upon us, I think it is important for you to know how technology will impact you this semester.

For many of us, this means protecting ourselves from the evil of viruses, identity theft and data loss.

As The Johnsonian’s webmaster and a computer science major, here are some things I’ve learned about keeping computers protected. These five tips and tricks can hopefully help you keep your computer, and more importantly your information, safe (plus it’s all free).

Long story short, keeping your browsing and downloads safe, turning your computer off when you don’t need it and making sure you back up your files will keep your computer running in tiptop shape and eliminate the threat of having a term paper disappear because of computer failure. E-mail me any questions at joshid@thejohnsonian.com and remember to enjoy your first semester.

Five technology tips for students:Students maintain their important information with these safe, portable storage devices. Flashdrives and external hardrives provide a backup for stored information on computers. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com

1. Get a good anti-virus.
   It’s required to use Winthrop’s Internet (Remember that from orientation?). There are many free choices out there including AVG, Avast and Avira (I don’t know why they all start with A’s...)
2. Use a good browser.
   Firefox, Chrome and Opera are all fine choices. (Notice Internet Explorer is not on here.)
3. Back up your data.
   If you have Windows 7, then there is a built-in backup manager. For the rest of us, try Dropbox, a free utility that can give you two gigabytes of online storage for free.
4. Keep track of your plug-ins.
   Plug-ins are little programs that “update” a bigger program to allow it to do more stuff. (E.g. flash plugins let the computer play flash video). Although this might seem like a daunting task, a free program such as Secunia PSI can help you update your plug-ins with both “simple” and “advanced” user settings.
5. Be proactive.
   Remember that a computer is nothing but a machine, and you should treat it as any other machine. Make sure to turn your computer off when you’re not using it just as you turn off your car when you’re not in it. Also, remember that if you keep your private information off the Internet, no one will be able to find it. If you’re using a Mac, you are no safer. The only reason many viruses don’t seem to be attacking Macs is because PCs outnumber Macs about a trillion to one (Notice my bias here?).