Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (
More info?)
Unless you sign on with the user named Administrator, there will be at
least two users under Windows 2000 and XP. And you can't delete the
Administrator user (although you can rename it to something else). So
there should be at least two users that should have a password set. And
I'd renamed the Administrator user name as extra precaution. Well maybe
Windows XP Home Edition doesn't have a user named Administrator. Someone
tell me for sure.
So any user with administrators rights (I assume that is you and the
Administrator) can access anything on your computer if they get the user
name and password right. And regardless if anything is being shared or
not. For example, once someone from the outside logs on to one of the
administrator accounts. All they have to do to access the whole C drive
is to type something like this:
\\computername\c$
Someone figured out how to disable these administrative shares. As I
found it on the Internet not long ago. But to be honest, it shouldn't
matter. As if they are logged on to an admininistator account, you are
in danger enough at this point anyway.
Also don't forget, not only do you have to worry about this unknown
SSID. But a hacker with a packet sniffer can see everything you are
doing. Passwords being transmitted and the like. And using WEP for
security can be cracked in 6 hours or less. WPA is much harder to crack.
And in the latter case, it could take someone months to do so. Although
if you change the passphrase often enough, a home wireless system still
should be pretty safe.
Cheers!
___________________________________________
Bill (using a HP AMD 1.2GHZ & Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within Word 2000
"MacGyver" <MacGyver.smartypants@Gmail.com> wrote in message news:d3mjs6$8nl$1@domitilla.aioe.org...
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:30:03 +0100
I do not have any shared files or folders.
Are you suggesting that it is safer if I create another XP account (just for
websurfing) for connecting to the unknown SSID in my neighbourhood?
I am currently using only one XP account for everything without any password
setting.
--
Regards,
MacGyver.
"BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote in message
news:M4y7e.1088$JJ2.460@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
"Good Man" <heyho@letsgo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9638691C27946sonicyouth@216.196.97.131...
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:20:02 -0500
"MacGyver" <MacGyver.smartypants@Gmail.com> wrote in
news:d3lhej$lms$1@domitilla.aioe.org:
> Hi,
>
> I'm a newbie to wifi.
>
> Is it safe to connect to an unknown SSID?
>
> My laptop has a firewall and anti-virus, will the owner of the unknown
> SSID be able to hack into my laptop?
it depends.
got any shared drives or folders?
Don't forget that many Windows 2000 & XP home users never bothered to
set a password for Administrator. Thus someone hacking into is their
first guess. And an Administrator has full rights, regardless what is
shared or not.
Cheers!
___________________________________________
Bill (using a HP AMD 1.2GHZ & Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within Word 2000
/www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=370636&rl=1
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