Staff Laptops
About Staff Laptops
Some Library employees are assigned laptops for long term use depending on the nature of their
work. If you have been assigned a Library laptop for long term use, you are responsible for
data and network security as described below.
Staff Laptop Maintenance Activities
- Periodic laptop maintenance and security scans are needed. All laptops must come into IT
Workstation & Network Support (IT WNS) for periodic maintenance and security scans; when it is
your turn to come in for this checkup, the IT WNS group will send you an e-mail.
- Virus software updates. It is important to keep your virus software up-to-date. Be sure to
update the the virus engine and virus "signatures" whenever you are connected to the internet. If
you are unsure how to do this, bring your laptop into IT WNS and we will install a shortcut on your
desktop so all you have to do is connect to the internet and click on the shortcut to update your
virus software.
- Security patch alerts. If your laptop is set up to automatically update operating system
patches, whenever Microsoft issues such a patch and your laptop is plugged into the network the
laptop will download and install the patch. If you are unsure if your laptop is set to
automatically update itself, or you need help in setting it to do so, please contact IT WNS so we
can assist you.
Note: because many patches are very large your laptop may not be able to download patches
if connected to the Internet via modem, so it is always a good idea to bring your laptop to work
every week and connect it to the Library's network for several hours. Think of it as recharging the
laptop's security battery.
- Applying security patches yourself. IT WNS staff can apply security patches to desktop
computers remotely and in the off-hours but, because there is no way of knowing when Library
laptops are on the network, we cannot do the same with laptops. So you, the primary laptop user,
must make sure the laptop operating system is patched. If you are not comfortable doing this
yourself, you must bring the laptop into IT WNS when alerted and we will do this for you (see the
next entry).
- Having the IT WNS apply security patches. If you are not comfortable applying security patches
yourself, or are unsure if the patches were properly applied, bring the laptop into IT WNS and we
will assist you. As mentioned above, we will alert laptop users when patches need to be
applied.
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