Safe Computing 

Framingham State's Student Help center provides software and services to protect computers on and off the university network.  Copies of Symantec Antivirus and Malware Bytes for antispyware are made available to all students.  Additional protections are also in place as part of network services provided to residence halls in order to mitigate the potential damage malicious software may cause.
 
Even though many things are in place to assist in preventing the spread of malicious software and unauthorized use of data, the most important thing anyone can do is take individual responsibility for protecting the computers you use and any personally identifiable information that may be stored on them.  For example, it's not enough to just have antivirus software installed on a computer.   Periodic updates of the antivirus software and scans of the computer must be done as well.  These can be set to occur automatically.  But you should be proactive in testing and checking these scans.  ITS-User Services can provide training and assistance if needed.
 
There are also a lot of scams out there like Phishing schemes, pop ups and fraudulent links.  Please read through the information provided by clicking on the links to the left to learn more about protecting your machine and your personal identity.