For people connected to a network, especially the Internet, computer security is a major concern.

Adam Ward, a graduate student in education, was very concerned about security after learning more about networks.

"I was surprised that so much could be done to a computer through a network. I wondered how dangerous it could be for UTM since it's on a network," said Ward.

For students living on-campus, there are already some things in place to protect your computer from hackers. One of these things is the campus firewall, which hides your computer from people on the Internet while allowing you to use the Internet as a resource. If an on-campus computer will be hacked into, it will more than likely be hacked into from another on-campus computer.

Ken Blankenship, IT Administrator II of the Computer Center, said that the only computer that is completely safe from hackers is one that is unplugged from the network and turned off.

Blankenship also said that there are three precautions to take when it comes to protecting yourself from viruses and hackers.

One precaution is to purchase a virus protection program and maintain its definitions. A free anti-virus program can be downloaded from http://www.-grisoft.com.

A second precaution would be to download a personal firewall (http://zonelabs.com).

The third and final precaution would be to check your operating system for the most current patches. Microsoft is known for leaving gaping security holes in its software.

If you use file-sharing programs, such as Kazaa, you should be especially cautious of viruses and hackers.

For more information and concerns, contact the Computer Center at ext. 7890.