MCS for Mac OSX

Check what version of Mac OS X you have by clicking the apple in the left-most corner of the screen and then selecting “About this Mac”. A window will pop up and it will tell you what version of the operating system you have in this format: 10.X.x. 10.4.x is “Tiger,” 10.5.x is “Leopard,” 10.6.x is “Snow Leopard,” and 10.7.x is "Lion." The last number refers to software updates.

The following instructions are steps you must take now to ensure that your computer will be safe from viruses and other malware.

If you have arrived with an infected computer, or if it becomes infected while you’re here, you may lose access to the Internet until you clean it up. This may require you to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your operating system and all your applications from scratch. It’s up to YOU to take the necessary precautions to secure your computer.

Before Connecting to the Network

Step 1: Turn on Built-in Firewall

CUIT recommends that you use these firewalls to help protect your computer from viruses and worms.

OS X 10.4 or "Tiger"

1. Open System Preferences by selecting it from the Apple menu (click the little apple symbol located upper left corner) or clicking it in your Dock.
2. Select Sharing from the Internet & Network preferences section.
3. Click the Firewall tab and click Start. It will say Firewall On above the button once you've activated the firewall.
4. You may allow access to your Mac on a service-by-service basis by selecting the individual services in the Allow box. If you don't understand what any of this means, you should make sure that NONE of the services are allowed.
5. Quit System Preferences.

OS X 10.5 or "Leopard"

1. Open System Preferences by selecting it from the Apple menu (click the little apple symbol located upper left corner) or clicking it in your Dock.
2. Select Security from the Personal preferences section.
3. Click on the Firewall tab.
4. Choose the bubble for Allow only essential services.
5. You may allow access to your Mac on a service-by-service basis by clicking the "+" and "-" boxes in the lower left corner. If you do not understand what any of this means, you should make sure that nothing is listed in the white window.
6. Quit System Preferences.

OS X 10.6 or "Snow Leopard"

1. Open System Preferences by selecting it from the Apple menu (click the little apple symbol located upper left corner) or clicking it in your Dock.
2. Select Security from the Personal preferences section.
3. Click on the Firewall tab.
4. Click on the Start bubble.
5. Quit System Preferences.

OS X 10.7 or "Lion"

1. Open System Preferences by selecting it from the Apple menu (click the little apple symbol located upper left corner) or clicking it in your Dock.
2. Select Security & Privacy  from the Personal preferences section.
3. Click on the Firewall tab.
4. Click on the Start bubble.
5. Quit System Preferences.

OS X 10.8 or "Mountain Lion"

1. Open System Preferences by selecting it from the Apple menu (click the little apple symbol located upper left corner) or clicking it in your Dock.
2. Select Security & Privacy  from the Personal preferences section.
3. Click on the Firewall tab.
4. Click on the Start bubble.
5. Quit System Preferences.

Step 2: Turn On Automatic Software Updates

The following instructions will explain how to turn on automatic software updates. This will make it easier to keep up with critical updates that are released to protect your machine from dangerous viruses and other malicious programs.

Every time your computer finds new updates, you will see a notification message on your screen that new updates are ready to be installed. Do not ignore this software update message! Just say yes and allow the installation to proceed. After the installation is complete, you will usually be prompted to close down and restart your computer.

By default, Software Update is enabled and configured for weekly updates. To confirm that it is set up to do so, please follow these instructions:

1. From the Apple Menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Select Software Update. Ensure that Check for updates is checked. Choose Weekly from the menu on the same line.
3. Close the window to save the settings.

Step 3: Setting up a Personal Password

In order to keep your machine safe from attacks, you need to protect all of its local accounts with secure passwords. A secure password is a combination of letters and numbers. It is something that would be very hard for you to forget, but virtually impossible for anyone else to figure out. If this password is forgotten, it cannot be reset. You may want to write it somewhere safe, but remember, if you write the password and keep it near your machine, anyone who finds it will be able to access all of your data and programs.

1. Open System Preferences from your dock or from the Apple menu.
2. Click Accounts in the System pane.
3. Select the account whose password you want to change from the account list on the left.
4. Click the Change Password... button if you see it. Type a new password in the Password field and re-type it in the Verify field. You may also enter a hint to remind you of the password should you forget it.
5. Quit System Preferences, saving your changes.

Immediately After Connecting to Network

Step 4: Updating the Operating System

It is critical that you update your operating system regularly. Without doing so, your machine may not be stable and will be much more vulnerable to attack. In Step 2 of these instructions, you configured automatic updating of the operating system, but after connecting to the Barnard or Columbia networks for the first time, you must update manually.

1. From the Apple Menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Choose Software Update under the System pane.
3. Click Check Now and follow onscreen directions.

Step 5: Installing Computer Security Software

Symantec (or Norton) AntiVirus is provided to all students in Columbia University and Barnard College for free. It will help in protecting you against viruses and other malicious programs.

For instructions and to download the software, please visit http://www.columbia.edu/cuit/software/nav/.

Step 6: Scanning for Viruses

To keep your computer clean, it must start clean. Please run a full system scan using up to date virus definitions by following the instructions found at the following web page:

http://www.columbia.edu/acis/software/nav/pc-config.html

Once you have finished the scan, you may use the network. Be sure to review the document concerning copyright-related policies included in this packet. Also, please review the safety guidelines found at the following web page to ensure that your machine remains safe: http://security.columbia.edu/

For information on online resources, documentation, please visit CUIT.

Barnard College students should report problems to Student Computing.