My Computer is Infected, Now What?

It happens in a blink of an eye–if you click on a link, attachment, or file that downloads an exploit–your computer is infected! Some signs that a computer is infected include a browser home page that you did not select, sudden slowness, unexplained hard drive activity, or the inability of your computer to access the network. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact OET immediately, and disconnect your computer from the network by unplugging the Ethernet cable or disabling the wireless adapter.

To get your computer back on track, OET will run antivirus and anti-malware software to determine if an infection exists. We also will search the hard drive for personal nonpublic information (PNPI). If no PNPI exists, we will either clean your hard drive or, more likely, reformat it. If we reformat your drive, we will back up your files, wipe you current hard drive of all information, and restore your applications and files. This procedure usually takes a day or less. If PNPI exists on the hard drive, we will contact IT to determine if any further action is necessary. During this more extensive investigation by IT, expect not to be able to access your computer for several days.

To insure that your computer is exploit-free and always up and running, keep virus protection up to date, apply operating system and application updates, avoid clicking on links or attachments that you were not expecting to receive, and follow IT’s guidelines for storing PNPI.

What Phones Will Synchronize With My Exchange Mail, Calendar, and Contacts?

With so many phones available, it’s important to choose a phone with the options you need including the ability to synchronize with the OET server, if you are an Exchange client. If you can access your mail through OET webmail, then you are an Exchange client, and you should look for a phone that runs Windows Mobile or an Apple iPhone. These phones can synchronize with OET’s Exchange server and give you access to your mail, calendar, and contacts on the go.

Although Blackberry phones will connect to the OET server to allow you to read mail, they will not allow you to synchronize your calendar or contacts. To access calendar items and contacts on a Blackberry, you would need to log onto OET’s webmail through the phone’s browser.