My home wireless connection is unsecured. If I have the windows XP
firewall on, file and print sharing off, and remote assistance turn
off can someone hack into my computer and have access to my files?  If
they can how do they do it?

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Clarification of Question by aatrainer-ga on 11 Nov 2005 08:25 PST

To Clarify, I only have one computer at home and am not networking
with any other computers.

If you are 80 metres remote from your computer you can not access to
your wireless connection. The walls of your house can alter these
distance difference. The people only can accsess to your internet
connection not to your computer folders or files. So you are in
secure. You can reach your modem setup page (This information is
displayed in user guide of your modem handbook) and set up a IP
address.

tanerkuruner,  Thank you for your comments.  I realize that someone
can connect using my wireless connection if it has not been secured. 
But thank you for clarifying for me that they cannot hack into my
computer if I have done all of the above (ie print and file sharing
off, remote access off and firewall on).  I really don't care if
someone get free access from my connection, sometimes people do the
same for me. If my pc is secure the only people really concerned with
access is the ISP's as they would have fewer connections to sell.

Hi ;)

The problem is : someone can use your connection to do bad things...
(spam, hack...) and you'll be responsible of that.

Second problem : what you do on your network could easily be sniffed
and someone could record your passwords on unsecure protocols like
FTP, SMTP (mails), HTTP, Messengers....

so you're NOT in secure... you're just INsecure

Jul.

sorry for my poor english

zorro_paris-ga,  Thanks again for comments.  What do you mean by
sniffed?  can someone using my wireless connection intercept my
emails?  Buy the way your English is very good.

hi ;)

if you're wifi is not securised, it means that your mails could be
intercepted because they're not encrypted.

to sniff means record everything that passes on the network. It
includes mails, web... lot of freely avalaible tools can automate that

sniffing a wifi network is really easy; just need an antenna. And if
data is not encrypted, we can easily read the content of every packet
transmitted there.


hope this helps & thanx for my english ;))

Just a thought... Are you using a "good" windows xp version (with
service pack 2 and other updates) ?

As a computer technician, I've seen many people thinking they were
secure with a firewall and a good antivirus on, but an out to date
version of windows xp has plenty of security holes which can be
reached by the first spyware/virus dropper encountered. Be careful as
some may damage your computer(hardware), others may enable anybody to
get access to your computer or your files, others may "record" your
keystrokes (to leech usernames, passwords...).

You should try this :
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?productid=symhome&langid=ie&venid=sym

manninew-ga, Again thanks for your comments.  I am using XP service
pack #2 with all the current updates.  My anti virus is AVG free
addition. I like it very much, it updates quickly and doesn't take up
much space or resource's like Norton does.  I have used Norton in the
past and it's seem to be more trouble than it's worth.  At least for
me.

Don't know what access point your using but most wifi equipment comes
with the ability to encrypt your wifi signal WEP, WPA-PSK. This is
software that encryts your signal and that only allows access if you
have the right password. Its pretty advanced and can be a pig to set
up so alot of people don't bother. If you do bother to set it up it
will give you good protection and will stop others from accessing your
signal. If your access point doesn't have this facility I'd recomend
you take a look at the netgear range of wifi kit its pretty easy to
setup and comes with some of the most advance protection that works
independantly of the wi-fi support that service pack 2 provides on XP
and so can enable encrytion on cross platform networks etc.

It's pretty secure but then as every hackers motto is if you can code
it someone can uncode it your never going to be totaly secure.

Hey good question, this is major part of my thesis which I am working
on. With your wireless connection unsecured your keeping the door open
for anybody to come in. To answer your question, if some one can hack
into your computer the answer is big YES!!!!

                     Since you have left the door open by unsecuring
your wireless, the easiest thing to do is ARP POISING and see all your
network traffic and furthermore, any vulnerability in Windows, IE can
easily be exploited with tools like nessus!!!!!!!!!!!

                     Your dead man if  a hacker is ur neighbor?)) or
tell me ur place i will come for war driving !!!!