In response to the threat of computer viruses, Information Technology Services offers the Take Control Web site and other resources to help eliminate potential threats.

ITS has been offering the Take Control Web site, http://its.psu.edu/takecontrol/, as a resource students can use to educate themselves about viruses and spyware and increase their computers' security.

The Blackmal.E worm is a virus that infects a computer through e-mail and file sharing and is capable of replacing the contents of Word documents and Excel spreadsheets with nonsense, said Kathy Kimball, senior director of Security Operations and Services. This worm is scheduled to become active on Friday, Kimball said.

Viruses can use up a computer's memory until the computer stops working, and spyware can spy on a student while he or she browses the Web, as well as change the computer's homepage and bully the computer into taking him or her to undesired Web sites. Spyware can also cause computer errors and crashes.

The Web site cites firewalls, antivirus software, security updates, spyware protection and secure passwords as the five components of computer security. The Web site explains how to setup a firewall, automatic security updates and secure passwords. Additionally, it offers links to Web sites where students can download free antivirus and anti-spyware programs.

"Students need to understand that they have to take control of protecting their computers. Nobody else is going to do it for them. And what ITS has done is provide the tools so they can protect themselves," said Robin Anderson, Director, Customer Communications, Information Technology Services. "We've tried to make it as nontechnical as possible."

If students find the Take Control Web site to be too technical, they can visit the ITS Help Desk Web site, http://helpdesk. psu.edu/help.html, which offers phone numbers and e-mail addresses to contact for assistance.

The Internet Storm Center Web site, http://isc.sans.org/, estimates that an unprotected computer would be online about 20 to 30 minutes before being infected.

University computer networks are targeted frequently, according to the Web site, so an unprotected computer on such a network is likely to be infected in an even shorter period of time.

"Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2005, education was the most frequently targeted industry, followed by small business," according to ITS documents.

Kimball said instant messaging and peer-to-peer file sharing are activities that spread hostile code. She said avoiding certain areas of the Internet to evade hostile code is futile because it's everywhere.

"You can get hostile code from many different kinds of means," Kimball said.

Although the Web pages a student visits do not play a role in the likelihood of encountering hostile code, the type of computer a student surfs the Web with does play a role in the likelihood of being infected.

"Windows get more viruses than Macs and UNIX systems, yes, but Macs are not immune," Anderson said. "That's just a fundamental design issue in the operating systems."