School technology directors and network administrators should make sure their anti-virus software is up to date and should take whatever additional steps are necessary to protect their computers before staff and students log on after the holidays, computer security experts warn.

Hackers, spammers, and spies go into overdrive in December and January, when unsuspecting neophytes unwrap new computers, connect to the internet, and, too often, get hit with viruses, spyware, and other nefarious programs, they say.

Although few researchers produce holiday-specific security data, experts at IBM Corp., Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), software companies, internet service providers, and computer security firms agree that the holidays are prime time for hackers.

David Loomstein, group manager for Symantec Security Response, said administrators should make it a point to cull security web sites and other notices for a list of the latest online threats. The key, he said, is to be as vigilant as possible.

One way to do that is to make sure system virus protections are up to date before allowing teachers and students to boot up in the New Year, he said.

But virus protections can only do so much.

"A lot of this really is about human factors," added Loomstein, who said the number of first-time technology users always increases during the gift-giving season. It's a reality that provides hackers and other online miscreants with a swath of new and unsuspecting targets, he said.

Given the situation, Loomstein said, the best way to protect any network is to reissue guidelines for responsible use. Precautions should include never opening unknown attachments and staying away from generic messages--even if those messages appear to come from someone you know and respect. If you're not sure, place a call or send a separate message to the apparent sender, just to confirm. When it comes right down to it, Loomstein said, safety starts with precaution.