Always Connected -- Are You at Risk?
Apr 12 '00
So you either have DSL or are considering it -- are you (or will you be) at risk? I got my DSL connected less than a week ago and was very impressed with the speed (I have another ePinion here about that). However, what I was not aware of was how much I had made myself subject to attack by hackers. Any time you are online (including with a dial-up), you are open to possible attack, but with DSL, ISDN, and cable modems (which are always connected), you are much more open. Hackers regularly run scan programs that scan the entire internet looking for IP addresses (what identifies your computer on the net). When an IP address is located, these scan programs then look for shared drives, etc. that can be used to infiltrate your system. Dial-up accounts are not as prone to hacking because you normally get a new IP address every time you dial in. DSL and other always connected services keep the IP address much longer. Southwestern Bell seems to expire my IP address several times a day (which is good!). After I found out how much I was announcing to the world my presence, I installed a free firewall and within the first hour had several attempted scans on my computer from the internet.
So you say you are not worried because you don't have any sensitive information on your computer? Think again! From the research that I have done since having my DSL installed, I have found that most hackers hack into computers like yours and mine to use as their "base" for bigger hacking jobs. That way when they hack into a IRS computers, etc., the trail leads to you instead of to them.
So what can you do about it? First, visit https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 to run a security test against your system and to get detailed information that will help you with your specific environment. Secondly, you will want to turn off Windows File and Printer sharing if you do not need it. Third, you will want to go to http://www.zonelabs.com/ and download the latest version of the ZoneAlarm firewall (free for individual users).
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Epinions.com ID:
benagee
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Member: Ben Agee
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 40 members
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