Prevention, Abuse, U.Va.

Mailing Address:

PO Box 400217
Charlottesville, VA
22904-4217 USA

Physical Address:

108 Cresap Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903

434-924-4165
434-924-3579
Email Us
See Map

Ways To Prevent Abuse

Individuals can take specific actions that will minimize the chances of being victimized by Internet abuse. The suggestions below will help you protect yourself and your computer account from being abused. For more tips, be sure to read ITC's Internet Safety Net a.k.a., "Everything I Need to Know About Internet Safety, I Learned in Kindergarden!"

Safeguard Your Password

Protecting your password is the single most important thing you can do to secure your computer account. Most people are careful to protect the PIN numbers for their ATM and credit cards. Your computer account deserves the same level of protection.

Here are a few tips for protecting your password:

Select a password that's difficult to guess! You might use a simple sentence to create a password. For example, "This is too much fun for me!" might translate into the password "Ti2mf4m!" Don't use your pet's name, or a loved one's name, or a formula from class, or anything else someone might easily guess.
Never write down your password! If you must, never write it down on a sticky-note next to the computer! Choose a password you can remember!
Never send your password to anyone over e-mail! ITC/University officials never ask users to send passwords over e-mail. Each year hackers impersonate "Computer Center" officials and try to trick people into revealing their passwords. If you receive one of these e-mails, report it immediately to the Abuse Response Team.
Occasionally change your password to something completely different. Do this on a regular schedule if you can.
Don't configure your computer to enter your password(s) automatically when the computer is turned on. A roommate or someone else with access to your computer might take advantage of your computer account. Your roommate might be trustworthy, but his/her friends may not be.

Never "Share" Accounts

Do not let anyone use your computer account (even a trusted friend or family member). Remember that under University policies, the owner of a computer account is responsible for the use of that account.

Beware "Shoulder Surfers"

In public computing environments --computer labs, classrooms or an office workstation-- stay alert for "shoulder surfers" whenever you must enter in a password. If someone is helping you with a problem, ask them to look the other way while you enter your password into the computer. Stay alert in public computing facilities and remember to protect your password!

Sign-off Before Leaving a Workstation Unattended

In public computing environments, always sign-off/log-off of your computer account(s) before you leave the workstation unattended. You may only be gone for five or ten minutes, but during this break someone can sit down at your workstation and use your account if you haven't logged-off. They could even change your password while you're gone, and you wouldn't know until the next time you tried to access your account.

Use Your E-Mail Account to Send E-Mail

If you need to send an e-mail message, it is always best to use your e-mail account and not an alternative. For example, a student working in a computer lab may decide to configure the web browser to send a quick e-mail message; however, if the student forgets to delete his/her personal information (i.e., name, e-mail address, etc.), someone may come along later and use that computer to send forged e-mail messages under the student's name/computer ID.

Make Back-Up Copies of Important Data

You should routinely make back-up copies of all your important work. Having a secure back-up minimizes the impact of a hardware/software problem as well as the damage caused by Internet abuse.

Use Virus Protection Software

The spread of computer viruses are a common problem on most college campuses. Regularly use virus protection software on your personal computer and on any computer files you receive on disk or through e-mail. Even if you trust the source, it will not hurt to check for viruses, and never start a program if you don't know where it came from or who sent it to you!!

Be Smart About E-Relationships

Computer mediated communication is one of the most exciting aspects of interacting in cyberspace. But you should remember this is not like any other form of communication. Sometimes the people you meet on-line --in IRC chat rooms, through e-mail lists, in newsgroups, or even in MUDs/MOOs-- aren't always truthful about their real identity. Be careful about revealing any personal information to the faceless people you might "meet" on the Internet. You should also remember that cultural values can unintentionally clash in this environment; for example, what one person takes for being polite another may take as an indication for a more intimate relationship.

Think Twice Before Taking Action

Always think twice before you take any action someone else might consider to be abuse of the Internet and/or the university's computing resources. Remember that electronic communication doesn't include the nonverbal signals we take for granted in face-to-face conversations. An e-mail message, IRC chat discussion, or newsgroup posting may not be taken the way you meant for it to be taken. And if you're angry or upset, e-mail bombs, chain letters, anonymous threats, forged messages, just to name a few, are not appropriate responses to a situation and these acts are violations of university policies. What starts out as a "harmless" prank may turn out to be more serious than you realize, so think twice before you act!

Report Unusual/Suspicious Activity

Finally, even if you take all the precautions your account may still become involved in an abuse situation. If you begin receiving unusual messages from complete strangers, or if you notice changes to your web pages you don't remember making, or any other suspicious activity, don't hesitate to call the ITC Help Desk or send an e-mail message to the Abuse Response Team (email: abuse@virginia.edu). For more information on reporting possible abuse, be sure to read "How to Report Abuse".

Be Aware of Your Responsibilities

Be aware of your responsibilities within the U.Va. community, especially the information in Responsible Computing: A Handbook for Students or Responsible Computing: A Handbook for Faculty and Staff. You may want to take the Responsible Computing Quiz (again) to insure that you understand what is expected. When you achieve a perfect score on the quiz, you will receive in-depth information about the questions and their responses.




Report A Problem Information About Spam Email Request Information Ways To Prevent Abuse Frequently Asked Questions Home Mailing Address: PO Box 400217 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4217 USA Physical Address: 108 Cresap Road Charlottesville, VA 22903 434-924-4165 434-924-3579 Email Us See Map		Ways To Prevent Abuse Individuals can take specific actions that will minimize the chances of being victimized by Internet abuse. The suggestions below will help you protect yourself and your computer account from being abused. For more tips, be sure to read ITC's Internet Safety Net a.k.a., "Everything I Need to Know About Internet Safety, I Learned in Kindergarden!" Safeguard Your Password Protecting your password is the single most important thing you can do to secure your computer account. Most people are careful to protect the PIN numbers for their ATM and credit cards. Your computer account deserves the same level of protection. Here are a few tips for protecting your password: Select a password that's difficult to guess! You might use a simple sentence to create a password. For example, "This is too much fun for me!" might translate into the password "Ti2mf4m!" Don't use your pet's name, or a loved one's name, or a formula from class, or anything else someone might easily guess. Never write down your password! If you must, never write it down on a sticky-note next to the computer! Choose a password you can remember! Never send your password to anyone over e-mail! ITC/University officials never ask users to send passwords over e-mail. Each year hackers impersonate "Computer Center" officials and try to trick people into revealing their passwords. If you receive one of these e-mails, report it immediately to the Abuse Response Team. Occasionally change your password to something completely different. Do this on a regular schedule if you can. Don't configure your computer to enter your password(s) automatically when the computer is turned on. A roommate or someone else with access to your computer might take advantage of your computer account. Your roommate might be trustworthy, but his/her friends may not be. Never "Share" Accounts Do not let anyone use your computer account (even a trusted friend or family member). Remember that under University policies, the owner of a computer account is responsible for the use of that account. Beware "Shoulder Surfers" In public computing environments --computer labs, classrooms or an office workstation-- stay alert for "shoulder surfers" whenever you must enter in a password. If someone is helping you with a problem, ask them to look the other way while you enter your password into the computer. Stay alert in public computing facilities and remember to protect your password! Sign-off Before Leaving a Workstation Unattended In public computing environments, always sign-off/log-off of your computer account(s) before you leave the workstation unattended. You may only be gone for five or ten minutes, but during this break someone can sit down at your workstation and use your account if you haven't logged-off. They could even change your password while you're gone, and you wouldn't know until the next time you tried to access your account. Use Your E-Mail Account to Send E-Mail If you need to send an e-mail message, it is always best to use your e-mail account and not an alternative. For example, a student working in a computer lab may decide to configure the web browser to send a quick e-mail message; however, if the student forgets to delete his/her personal information (i.e., name, e-mail address, etc.), someone may come along later and use that computer to send forged e-mail messages under the student's name/computer ID. Make Back-Up Copies of Important Data You should routinely make back-up copies of all your important work. Having a secure back-up minimizes the impact of a hardware/software problem as well as the damage caused by Internet abuse. Use Virus Protection Software The spread of computer viruses are a common problem on most college campuses. Regularly use virus protection software on your personal computer and on any computer files you receive on disk or through e-mail. Even if you trust the source, it will not hurt to check for viruses, and never start a program if you don't know where it came from or who sent it to you!! Be Smart About E-Relationships Computer mediated communication is one of the most exciting aspects of interacting in cyberspace. But you should remember this is not like any other form of communication. Sometimes the people you meet on-line --in IRC chat rooms, through e-mail lists, in newsgroups, or even in MUDs/MOOs-- aren't always truthful about their real identity. Be careful about revealing any personal information to the faceless people you might "meet" on the Internet. You should also remember that cultural values can unintentionally clash in this environment; for example, what one person takes for being polite another may take as an indication for a more intimate relationship. Think Twice Before Taking Action Always think twice before you take any action someone else might consider to be abuse of the Internet and/or the university's computing resources. Remember that electronic communication doesn't include the nonverbal signals we take for granted in face-to-face conversations. An e-mail message, IRC chat discussion, or newsgroup posting may not be taken the way you meant for it to be taken. And if you're angry or upset, e-mail bombs, chain letters, anonymous threats, forged messages, just to name a few, are not appropriate responses to a situation and these acts are violations of university policies. What starts out as a "harmless" prank may turn out to be more serious than you realize, so think twice before you act! Report Unusual/Suspicious Activity Finally, even if you take all the precautions your account may still become involved in an abuse situation. If you begin receiving unusual messages from complete strangers, or if you notice changes to your web pages you don't remember making, or any other suspicious activity, don't hesitate to call the ITC Help Desk or send an e-mail message to the Abuse Response Team (email: abuse@virginia.edu). For more information on reporting possible abuse, be sure to read "How to Report Abuse". Be Aware of Your Responsibilities Be aware of your responsibilities within the U.Va. community, especially the information in Responsible Computing: A Handbook for Students or Responsible Computing: A Handbook for Faculty and Staff. You may want to take the Responsible Computing Quiz (again) to insure that you understand what is expected. When you achieve a perfect score on the quiz, you will receive in-depth information about the questions and their responses.