It used to be that you were pretty safe dialing up to the Internet either with a standard modem or something faster, however with today's technology and the ever increasing threat of computer viruses and worms that's not the case anymore.
Standard dial-ups are still pretty safe if you're running an up-to-date virus protection program, however an encounter last week reminded me of other threats that might be lurking as well. The VBS.Netlog worm is a good example (although harmless) of a virus/worm that can invade your system while online. Another virus that gained wide spread fame was the 911 Virus that invaded systems, formatted the hard drives (destroying any data on them) and even dialed 911 through the modem. Both of these worms or viruses spread through the Internet not via email but through accessible shared drives on computer connected to the Internet.
Windows 95/98/NT/2000 have built-in networking abilities making it easy to connect computers together to share files, printers, and other devices. However, many times when a home network is setup, file and printer sharing will leave these computers open to attack from computer viruses and worms that propegate through this security breach.
To correct this breach in security, follow the steps below:
1) Open Control Panel and Double-click on Network
2) In the case of a Dial-up connection with a modem, find the TCP/IP protocol pointing to the Dial-Up Adapter and Click on Properties.
3) Click on the Bindings tab, and UNCHECK the File and Printer Sharing option
For other devices such as cable modems and such, find the correct TCP/IP option pointing to the device and follow the procedure above to uncheck the File and Printer sharing capabilities of the device.
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