Network Security

Protecting your computer from unwanted third-party attacks is one of the most important things you can do as a member of the Mines community. This helps make sure you can access the network resources you want, when you want them. From the moment you connect a computer to the Internet you gain access to a wealth of information — and your computer becomes a potential target of malicious attacks originating anywhere in the world. These attacks take many forms, including viruses and worms transmitted via email, specially crafted web sites which will attempt to install unwanted software, and direct attacks over the network which can compromise your computer even when you are not using it.

The good news is that Mines has taken a number of steps to both protect you from these threats, and to help you protect yourself. The first line of defense is a firewall which has been installed at the border between the campus network and the rest of the Internet. The firewall prevents unsolicited connections from computers on the Internet to computers on campus. As a second line of defense, Mines provides protective software to members of the campus community. These programs help prevent viruses and other attacks which may arrive via email, maliciously crafted web pages, or from other computers on campus (such as ones which have already been infected with a virus).

See our list of security recommendations for protecting yourself, your computer, and the larger campus community.