In this seventh and final installment of my “Internet Security Basics” series, let’s first examine a typically-overlooked, yet critically important area of computer safety: network file sharing.
File sharing is the ability of computers connected to the same network to “share” files with each other. This means copies, or originals of files, such as family photos or songs, can be moved from one computer to another simply by the computers being able to “see” each other on the network. This is a very powerful ability, and is the prime reason for the invention of computer networking, in the first place.
File sharing has its drawbacks, though. If your computer has file sharing turned on, anyone on the network has access to your files. There may be times when you don’t want other people to have access to your files, such as when you visit hotels, coffee shops or other remote locations. You may not even want others to have access to your files at home or at work.
From the Microsoft website, we find this explanation of file sharing: “Turn (file sharing) on for home or small office networks, or when you know and trust the people and devices on the network. Turn this off for networks in public places (such as coffee shops or airports), or when you don’t know or trust the people and devices on the network. Turning this on changes your firewall settings to allow some communication, which can be a security risk. If you know you won’t need to share files or printers, the safest choice is to turn this off.”
This is a good warning and should be heeded by both Apple Mac and PC users. Unfortunately, most Macs and PCs have file sharing enabled by default, with their owners being oblivious to the dangers they risk. This makes it all too easy for computer bad guys to get in and mess with peoples stuff.
A thorough tutorial of how to disable file sharing on all the different PCs, Macs, iPads, Android smart phones and iPhones out there is beyond the scope of this column; it is important, however, that you know how to disable file sharing on your device. To learn how, I suggest you use the world’s biggest encyclopedia: Google. Go to google.com and search for (with the name of your specific device), “<your device name here> disable file sharing.” For example, if I wanted to learn about turning off file sharing on an iPad, I would search for “iPad disable file sharing.”
Finally, a note about antivirus programs: all antivirus programs miss something; they just do. None of them are perfect and none of them are capable of giving you perfect protection. If you notice your computer exhibiting strange behavior, yet your antivirus scans show nothing amiss, try getting a second opinion with an online virus scan. For PCs, I like the online virus scanner offered by Eset (www.eset.com). Mac users can visit housecall.trendmicro.com for the free online Mac virus scanner offered by Trend Micro.
Pay attention to Internet security basics and enjoy happy surfing!