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Personal Technology

Personal Technology

Students, Faculty, and Staff may have personal computers and devices that are used to connect to both personal and university services.

North Park Information Technology wants to ensure that your account information is secure, but it is your responsibility to manage your personal devices and accounts.

Device Best Practices

Below you find some specifics on how to best care for your devices. Common across all devices:

  • Ensure your operating system is up to date

  • Ensure you have security in place

  • Be conscious and smart about your own personal information

Personal Windows Computers

Operating System

  • Ensure your Windows Operating System (OS) is on the most recent version available.

  • Windows Update Instructions

  • We recommend that you select the options to automatically download and install Windows Updates so that your device is consistently being updated.

Windows Defender

  • Windows Defender is antivirus built in to Windows operating systems and should be adequate to protect from most threats as long as it is kept up to date.

  • Ensure your OS is up to date, and make sure Windows Defender is running in Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Security

  • Windows Defender Information

  • You may want to install free or paid versions of anti-virus software, but that is not required as long as your OS is regularly updated and you follow other security practices (like Browser Security, below).

Malware and Virus Scan

If you suspect that your computer may be infected with malware or a virus you may want to:

  1. Install and Run ADWcleaner

    1. https://www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner/

  2. Install and Run Malwarebytes

    1. https://www.malwarebytes.com/

    2. The free version is adequate for a single scan, or you can choose to subscribe if you want.

    3. This will scan your computer and hopefully remove any current malware.

Restart your computer after performing maintenance and scans. You may want to re-scan after restarting, and make sure you check for Windows Updates again, as well.

Personal Apple Computers

Operating System

Browser Security

Using a modern and secure browser is important on all computers, regardless if it's running Apple, Windows, or a Chrome operating system.

Using the default browser (like Safari for Mac, or Edge for Windows) can be fine if you keep your OS updated, but most users want a third-party browser.

Operating System security is important, but most internet traffic takes place using the browser on your computer. If your browser is not secure, then the information you pass through your browser will not be secure either.

Browsers

Both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox offer quality browsers.

Clear Cookies or Cache

When you use a browser it saves some information from websites in its cache and cookies. Clearing them fixes certain problems, like loading or formatting issues on sites.

Keep in mind that clearing cookies may sign you out of websites, and some saved preferences may be lost.

Google Chrome

  1. Link to Chrome Instructions.

  2. Open Chrome.

  3. Click on the three dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.

  4. Select "Settings."

  5. Scroll down and click on "Privacy and security" in the left sidebar.

  6. Under "Privacy and security," click on "Clear browsing data."

  7. Choose the time range (e.g., "Last 24 hours" or "All time").

  8. Select "Cookies and other site data."

  9. Click "Clear data."

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Link to Firefox Instructions.

  2. Open Firefox.

  3. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner to open the menu.

  4. Select "Options."

  5. In the left sidebar, click on "Privacy & Security."

  6. Scroll down to the "Cookies and Site Data" section.

  7. Click on "Clear Data."

  8. Check the box for "Cookies and Site Data."

  9. Click "Clear."

Microsoft Edge

  1. Open Edge.

  2. Click on the three dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.

  3. Select "Settings."

  4. Scroll down and click on "Privacy, search, and services" in the left sidebar.

  5. Under "Clear browsing data," click on "Choose what to clear."

  6. Check the box for "Cookies and other site data."

  7. Click "Clear."

Safari on macOS

  1. Open Safari.

  2. In the top menu bar, click on "Safari."

  3. Select "Preferences."

  4. Go to the "Privacy" tab.

  5. Click on "Manage Website Data."

  6. You can either search for specific websites or click "Remove All" to delete all cookies.

  7. Confirm by clicking "Remove Now."

Safari on iOS (iPhone/iPad)

  1. Open the Settings app.

  2. Scroll down and select "Safari."

  3. Scroll down to the "Privacy & Security" section.

  4. Tap on "Clear History and Website Data."

  5. Confirm by tapping "Clear History and Data."

Extensions

Trusted browser extensions or add-ons can help make your browsing experience much safer.

IT recommends uBlock Origin for use as a general purpose blocker.

More about uBlock Origin.

Keep your other extensions updated and removed unwanted and unnecessary ones.

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices like phones and tablets are important to secure since they are often connected to lots of personal accounts 24/7.

Here are some best-practices for keeping your device secure:

  1. Lock your phone with a passcode, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Do not leave it unlocked.

  2. Update the operating system regularly. Set up automatic updates if possible.

  3. Update applications regularly. Set up automatic updates if possible.

  4. Avoid third-party application that are not found in your devices app store.

  5. Do not jailbreak or "root" your device.

  6. Backup your phone; Apple and Android both have cloud backup settings.

  7. Use public WIFI carefully or not at all.

This is a modified list from the Malwarebytes blog.

Personal Email Address

North Park email addresses are created for current students, faculty, and staff. A personal email address is required as a security method for the university account, and for personal work. Your university account should not be used for personal work or attached to other personal accounts. University email accounts are removed on a schedule after leaving North Park. Please see the Accounts Policy documents for both students and employees.

All users should maintain a personal email account. Please keep Student Engagement, Human Resources, Advancement, and/or Information Technology aware of changes to your personal email so the university can maintain contact with you when you no longer have a North Park account!

How to Create a Personal Email Address

Step 1: Choose an Email Provider

Two popular and reliable options are:

  • Outlook (by Microsoft) – Great for integration with Microsoft services.

  • Gmail (by Google) – Excellent for integration with Google services.

Option 1: Create an Outlook Email Address

  1. Go to the Outlook sign-up page.

  2. Click “Get a new email address.”

  3. Choose your preferred email name (e.g., yourname@outlook.com).

  4. Create a strong password.

  5. Enter your personal details (name, birthdate, etc.).

  6. Complete the CAPTCHA to verify you're not a robot.

  7. Click “Next” to finish setting up your account.

Option 2: Create a Gmail Email Address

  1. Go to the Gmail sign-up page.

  2. Fill in your first and last name.

  3. Choose your email address (e.g., yourname@gmail.com).

  4. Create a strong password and confirm it.

  5. Click “Next” and follow the prompts to verify your phone number.

  6. Add recovery options (optional but recommended).

  7. Agree to the terms and conditions to complete setup.

Tips for a Good Email Address

  • Use your real name or a variation (e.g., john.doe1985@gmail.com).

  • Avoid using random numbers or nicknames unless necessary.

  • Make sure your password is strong and unique.