To check your computer's IP address, follow these steps based on the operating system you are using:

Check IP Address on Windows

Using Command Prompt

1. Press the Windows key and type cmd, then press Enter to open Command Prompt.
2. Type ipconfig in the Command Prompt and press Enter.
3. In the results, you will see IPv4 Address or IPv6 Address, which is your computer's IP address.

Through Network Settings

1. Press the Windows key and click on Settings.
2. Select Network & Internet.
3. On the Status page, click View your network properties.
4. Find IPv4 Address or IPv6 Address in the list, which is your IP address.

Check IP Address on macOS

Using System Preferences

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and select System Preferences.
2. Select Network.
3. Select the network connection you're currently using (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and you will see the IP address on the right.

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal by navigating to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. Type ifconfig | grep "inet " and press Enter.
3. The string of numbers after "inet" is your IP address.

Check IP Address on Linux

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type ip addr show or ifconfig and press Enter.
3. Find the string of numbers after inet (IPv4 address) or inet6 (IPv6 address), which is your IP address.

To check your computer's MAC address, follow these steps based on the operating system you are using:

Windows

Using Command Prompt

1. Press the Windows key and type cmd, then press Enter to open Command Prompt.
2. Type ipconfig/all in Command Prompt and press Enter.
3. This will display detailed information for all network interfaces. Find the network interface you're using (such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and check the Physical Address field for the MAC address.

Through Settings

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Network & Internet, then select Status.
3. Click Hardware properties, and you can see the MAC address here.

macOS

Using System Preferences

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and select System Preferences.
2. Select Network.
3. Select the network connection you're currently using (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
4. Click the Advanced button in the bottom right.
5. Under the Hardware tab, you'll see the MAC address.

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal by navigating to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. Type ifconfig and press Enter.
3. Look for your network interface (such as en0 for Wi-Fi) and you'll see a line with ether followed by your MAC address.

Check MAC Address on Linux

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type ip addr show or ifconfig and press Enter.
3. Find your network interface (e.g., eth0 or wlan0), and you'll see the MAC address after ether.

Important Notes:

• Backup Data: Before updating your system, it is recommended to back up important data to avoid any issues during the update process.
• Keep Charging: If you are using a laptop, keep it plugged in while updating to avoid interruptions.

Windows

Manual Update Check

1. Press the Windows key and choose Settings (gear icon).
2. Select Windows Update.
3. Choose Check for Updates or Download and Install All.

macOS

Using System Preferences

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and choose System Preferences.
2. Click Software Update.
3. macOS will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, click Update Now or Upgrade Now.
4. If the update requires a restart, the system will prompt you to restart to complete the update.

Linux (Ubuntu Example)

Using GUI

1. Open Software & Updates application.
2. Go to the Updates tab and choose the frequency of automatic update checks (e.g., daily or weekly).
3. Open Update Manager and click Check for Updates to find available updates.
4. Click Install Updates and enter the administrator password to proceed with the installation.

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt upgrade
   and press Enter.
3. After entering the administrator password, the system will begin installing updates.

Chrome OS

Manual Update Check

1. Click the status area in the bottom-right corner of the screen, then choose Settings.
2. Scroll to the bottom and select About Chrome OS.
3. Click the Check for Updates button, and the system will check for and automatically install any available updates.

Given the increasing number of cyber attacks today, with about 70% being launched via malicious emails, to avoid computers being harmed by cyber attacks (e.g., being implanted with trojans, backdoors, etc., which could lead to data corruption), all faculty, staff, and students are requested to check whether their email clients (Outlook XXXX or Office 365 Outlook), mobile devices, and platforms are set to read emails in plain text and disable automatic image downloads. You can refer to the link below for social engineering email defense settings.
Click here: Social Engineering Email Defense and Email Client Settings

Notes:

1. If you find suspicious emails such as 'phishing' or 'social engineering' emails, please notify the Computer Center (contact: Junmao Lin, alston@mail.mcut.edu.tw), and provide information such as the sender's email address and subject.
2. Do not open emails from unknown sources or non-official emails; delete them directly.
3. If the email subject starts with [Social Email], delete it directly without opening the email.
4. If the email subject starts with [External Email], it is not sent by the school's email server or system. Please verify the sender and email content carefully before downloading remote images, opening attachments, or clicking links.
5. Since approximately 70% of cyber attacks (such as phishing, trojans, backdoors, ransomware, etc.) are launched via malicious emails, students are urged to treat emails with zero trust if they are not files produced by themselves. Please confirm the following:
   • To avoid being harmed by social engineering emails, please confirm the safety of the source or content before reading the email in HTML format.
   • Confirm whether the source (email sender or file provider) is trustworthy.
   • Delete emails from unknown sources or non-official emails directly.
   • Do not open files or email attachments that were not produced by yourself; scan them for viruses first.
   • Do not click on links within websites or emails randomly (especially those unrelated to official business).
   • For untrusted emails, do not choose to download images, click links, or open attachments.

You can check the firewall status on your computer by following these steps, which differ depending on the operating system used:

Check Firewall Status on Windows

Using Windows Security Center

1. Press the Windows key, type "Windows Security," and click to open.
2. In the left menu, select "Firewall & network protection."
3. In the Firewall & network protection section, you can see the firewall status for "Domain," "Private," and "Public" network settings.

Using Control Panel

1. Press the Windows key, type "Control Panel," and click to open.
2. Select "System and Security," then click "Windows Firewall."
3. In the "Windows Firewall" interface, you can check whether the firewall is enabled and view its status and settings.

Check Firewall Status on macOS

Using System Preferences

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and choose "System Preferences."
2. Select "Security & Privacy," then click the "Firewall" tab.
3. On the Firewall page, you can see whether the firewall is enabled and adjust the settings.

Using Terminal

1. Open "Terminal" by navigating to "Applications > Utilities > Terminal."
2. Type "sudo /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw --getglobalstate" and press Enter.
3. The system will display the firewall status (enabled or disabled).

Check Firewall Status on Linux

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type "sudo ufw status" and press Enter.
3. The system will display the firewall status, such as "active" or "inactive."

Use browser security settings to protect yourself from malicious websites and pop-ups, and ensure unnecessary features like ActiveX controls are disabled. This can effectively enhance browsing security.
Setting browser security helps protect your personal information and prevents online threats. Here are the security settings for common browsers:

Google Chrome

Security Level Settings

1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select "Settings."
2. Under "Privacy and security," choose "Security" and select "Enhanced protection" to increase the protection level.

Disable Pop-up Functionality

1. Click the three-dot menu -> "Settings" -> "Privacy and security" -> "Site settings."
2. Select "Pop-ups and redirects," and set it to "Do not allow sites to send pop-ups."

Block Pop-ups

1. Similar to the pop-up functionality settings, under the "Pop-ups and redirects" option, choose "Block."

Mozilla Firefox

Security Level Settings

1. Click the three-line menu in the top-right corner -> "Settings" -> "Privacy & Security."
2. Choose the "Strict" mode to enhance tracking protection.

Disable Pop-up Functionality

1. Click the three-line menu -> "Settings" -> "Privacy & Security."
2. In the "Permissions" section, check "Block pop-up windows."

Block Pop-ups

1. In the "Permissions" section, check "Block pop-up windows" and configure exceptions if necessary.

Microsoft Edge

Security Level Settings

1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner -> "Settings" -> "Privacy, search, and services."
2. Under "Tracking prevention," select "Strict" for better protection.

Disable Pop-up Functionality

1. Click the three-dot menu -> "Settings" -> "Cookies and site permissions."
2. Select "Pop-ups and redirects" and set it to "Block."

Block Pop-ups

1. Similar to pop-up functionality, go to "Pop-ups and redirects" and set it to "Block."

It's important to regularly update software and systems to enhance security and ensure compatibility with the latest technologies. Here’s how to check for updates on common operating systems and platforms:

Windows System

Check for System Updates

1. Click the Start menu -> "Settings" -> "Update & Security."
2. Select "Windows Update" and click "Check for updates."

Check Installed Software Versions

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type "appwiz.cpl" and press Enter to see a list of installed software and their version numbers.

macOS System

Check for System Updates

1. Click the Apple logo -> "System Preferences" -> "Software Update."
2. Click "Update Now" if there are available updates.

Check Installed Software Versions

1. Click the Apple logo -> "About This Mac" -> "System Report."
2. Under "Software," select "Applications" to see the version of installed apps.

Linux System

Check for System Updates

1. Open Terminal and enter the following command:
   sudo apt update
2. After the update completes, run the following command to upgrade:
   sudo apt upgrade

Check Installed Software Versions

1. Open Terminal and enter the following command:
   dpkg -l | grep <software name>
2. This will display the version of the specified software.