Secure on the Internet

A "virtual private network" (VPN) connects participating systems whichare physically separated from each other logically in a network.

For example, users who establish a VPN connection to ETH Zurich from an external location become part of the ETH Zurich network from a logical point of view. They receive a network address of ETH Zurich.

This allows worldwide access to ETH Zurich services, which are only available to participants with ETH Zurich IP addresses.

On many websites the user has to log in with a password. It is important that you are on the original page.

• Is the URL of the page correct?
  • Are there letters mixed up? Example: elhz.ch instead of ethz.ch
  • Is ".com" correct or should it rather be ".ch"?
• Is the connection to the website encrypted?
  The URL in the address bar tells you whether the connection to a website is encrypted.
  If it starts with https://  instead of with http://, the connection is encrypted.
• Many browsers display a small green padlock as an icon next to the address bar. A click on the green padlock provides information about the website.
  

If you have logged on a website, do not simply close the browser window at the end of the session, but log out.

Regularly delete the history, cache, and cookies in your browser. Preferably have them automatically deleted when closing the browser.

• Do not download programs or other data from the Internet without checking. Use trusted sources, such as your local IT support or the websites of software manufacturers.
• Only download programs for which you have the necessary licenses.
  

Websites that have been manipulated often serve to spread malware.

Avoid the darker corners of the Internet, such as sites that illegally offer programs, music or films.

But the «bright» sides of the Internet can also be manipulated.

If you want to access IT services of ETH Zurich from outside, use an encrypted VPN connection whenever possible.

This will ensure that data is transferred in encrypted form between your end device and ETH Zurich.

Information on configuration and use of the ITS VPN service