The IT Department has been taking extra measures to maintain the security of Seton Hall’s data and devices.
However, some students said despite the emails IT recently sent explaining why the community should update their laptops, they do not update their devices until it is absolutely necessary.
Jiaqi Liu, a freshman communications and public relations major, said she does not frequently update her computer.
“I only do it when I must install the update in order to continue using my laptop,” Liu said.
Ava Ekberg, a freshman undecided major, had a similar answer as to why she does not update her laptop.
The IT Department hosted a workshop on Feb. 7 and Feb. 10 to show students how to keep their laptops up to date.
“I do not update my laptop unless I’m sick of seeing the notification or my laptop is not working properly, therefore I associate the problem with not updating the computer,” Ekberg said. “I have been in positions before where I realize that had I just updated my laptop; I would have saved time and energy in a scenario later on.”
While most students do not take their time out every week to update their laptops, it is important to do so, the IT Department said.
“In today’s world, there are new malicious threats created every day,” Alessandro Pilaia, computer training coordinator, said. “In order to stay ahead of new threats, device manufacturers create patches and security updates to fix vulnerabilities. Outdated devices, browsers and software are susceptible to attacks, identity theft and loss of data.”
He added, “Updates take a few minutes to install but recovering from identity theft and other threats may take days or weeks.”
The IT Department has been implementing new security features to prevent any major damage to the laptops and data of students. These features include two-factor authentication, critical updates to Windows and alerts when students log in on an unrecognizable device.
“Our IT security team regularly intercepts and thwarts attacks before they reach our community,” Pilaia said. “We are proactively enabling industry-standard security features to safeguard our students, faculty and staff. Two-factor authentication and unrecognized sign-in alerts are just a few of the many features that protect our users and their data.”
To explain these updates to students, the IT Department hosted a workshop on Feb. 7 and Feb. 10. According to the Seton Hall’s website, the workshop showed students how to keep their laptop in top shape by keeping up with Windows Updates, Lenovo System Updates, virus updates and browser updates.
Milan Stanic, Director of IT Communications, said, “The purpose of this event was to educate our students, faculty, and staff on the best practices of keeping their laptops up to date and safe from malware, viruses, and other threats. The event was a great opportunity to sit down with our computer training coordinator who will demonstrate tips and tricks step by step.”
Brooke McCormick can be reached at brooke.mccormick@student.shu. edu.
