Get Started with Computer Security at Columbia

These are steps you should take now, before you arrive on campus, to ensure that your computer will be as safe as possible from the rampant viruses and malware on the Internet.

If you arrive with an infected computer, or if it becomes infected after you're at Columbia, you may lose access to the Internet until your computer has been cleaned.

This can take hours, endanger your personal documents, and require you to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your operating system and all your applications from scratch. Although CUIT is here to help you should it be necessary, it's up to you to take the necessary precautions to secure your computer.

Precautions you can take