Security isn't always the first thing on people's minds when they sit down in front of a computer, but it's an essential and necessary part of using information technology in today's world. Within Information Technology Services (ITS), Security Operations and Services (SOS) has the important task of addressing Penn State's system-wide information technology security issues.

As the use of electronic information becomes more complex, SOS staff continually examine and implement ways to protect the Penn State community against hackers and other electronic dangers. SOS employs many methods for providing security, ranging from the simple creation and use of passwords to performing security investigations and analyses.

Since proactive security should be a goal of all users, SOS provides assistance to those individuals interested in protecting themselves. Helpful resources, including instructions for reporting incidents and other security information, are provided on this site's web pages.

Guides: The documents on this web page contain only suggested guidelines for rebuilding and securing your Microsoft Windows-based machines. Please carefully consider which guidelines to implement, as every environment will have very differing needs and requirements. It is recommended that you implement one modification at a time to determine the impact of the change. Always be sure to document all modifications that are made.