Viruses and Spyware
Two of the main reasons that students end up loosing their internet connection in their dorm room are viruses and spyware getting onto their computer. A lot of people have no idea what the differences are between the two and how to avoid getting them in the first place. Both viruses and spyware can be dangerous to your computer and your personal information. It is very important to do your best to keep from getting infected. Information on how to aviod getting infected can be found on the Staying Safe page. The following explains the differences between viruses and spyware.
Viruses
A virus is a malicious program written to cause some kind of damage to a computer system. Viruses spread a lot like biological viruses that make us sick. They spread from one machine to another and can cause havoc wherever they go. A few years ago viruses needed the interaction of a person to spread across the internet, but these days they can spread on their own. The viruses that can spread on their own are called worms. These worms can cause just as much, if not more, damage than a regular virus. Check the Anti-Virus page to see what we recommend and support.
Spyware
Spyware isn't written to damage a computer system but instead to steal valuable information from the user. Some spyware programs will just monitor internet browsing habits and send that information back to companies so that they can sell or use that information. Other spyware programs will actually keep track of what you type in hopes of grabbing credit card numbers, account names, and passwords. It can be downloaded by visiting the wrong types of websites or along with other legitmate files. Often it can be difficult if not impossible to completely remove spyware from your computer, especially if there are a high number of infections. Check the Anti-Spyware page to see what we recommend.
Firewall
A firewall's basic task is to regulate some of the flow of traffic between computer networks of different trust levels. Typical examples are the Internet which is a zone with no trust and an internal network which is a zone of higher trust. A zone with an intermediate trust level, situated between the Internet and a trusted internal network, is often referred to as a "perimeter network" or Demilitarized zone (DMZ). A firewall's function within a network is similar to firewalls with fire doors in building construction. In the former case, it is used to prevent network intrusion to the private network. In the latter case, it is intended to contain and delay structural fire from spreading to adjacent structures. Without proper configuration, a firewall can often become worthless. Standard security practices dictate a "default-deny" firewall ruleset, in which the only network connections which are allowed are the ones that have been explicitly allowed. Unfortunately, such a configuration requires detailed understanding of the network applications and endpoints required for the organization's day-to-day operation. Many businesses lack such understanding, and therefore implement a "default-allow" ruleset, in which all traffic is allowed unless it has been specifically blocked. This configuration makes inadvertent network connections and system compromise much more likely. Check the Firewall page to see what we recommend.
Source: Wikipedia: Firewall (last visited Oct. 31, 2008).