Networking Dangerously

[BUB 209]

I have three computers hooked up together at home. One I use for the
internet and protect it with Spysweeper and Norton, the other two are
graphics-intensive and I don't want them slowed down with stuff running
in the background. To reduce the danger of infection through the network,
would it be safer to share just a few files, mostly text business records,
than to share entire drives? Or does just the fact that the network is
physically set up through hardware and software leave it open to infection?

 

[John Coutts]

I have three computers hooked up together at home. One I use for the
internet and protect it with Spysweeper and Norton, the other two are
graphics-intensive and I don't want them slowed down with stuff running
in the background. To reduce the danger of infection through the network,
would it be safer to share just a few files, mostly text business records,
than to share entire drives? Or does just the fact that the network is
physically set up through hardware and software leave it open to infection?

**************** REPLY SEPARATER ***************
The safest way is to run your private network behind a firewall, and the least
expensive and most reliable way is to use a NAT router. Providing you choose a
decent one and set it to use fixed IP addresses (not DHCP), you will be able to
route any specific ports that you need on your internet machine to that
particular machine. This provides protection from outside access, but does not
restrict inside access.

Having said that, be aware that if one machine behind the firewall becomes
infected (eg. from an eamil attachment), they will all likely become infected.

 

[Duane Arnold]

(e-mail address removed) (BUB 209) wrote in

I have three computers hooked up together at home. One I use for
the
internet and protect it with Spysweeper and Norton, the other two are
graphics-intensive and I don't want them slowed down with stuff
running in the background. To reduce the danger of infection through
the network, would it be safer to share just a few files, mostly text
business records, than to share entire drives? Or does just the fact
that the network is physically set up through hardware and software
leave it open to infection?

The best thing to do is get behind a NAT router as the gateway device.

And then go to the O/S on the machine and configure it properly. The
protection starts with the O/S, if you have one on the machine that can
protect itself.

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/explain/about-NAT.asp

http://www.uksecurityonline.com/index5.php

Duane