Can Neighbor Access My Files?

Hello,

My neighbor has given me permission to use her wireless internet access.
She does not have security enabled, so I just connect to it. My questions
are, a) could this allow her to access files on my computer? b) What would
she see? My computer name? Just the IP address? c) Could she hack into my
hard drive and look at files? d) What about inbound and outbound emails?

Thanks,
Marc

Well are you sharing your hard drive? If sharing is turn off, it's unlikely
she can look at your files. In theory she is setup to do a man in the middle
attack, so yes she has the potential to track your every move on the
Internet and filter your e-mail, read your e-mail learn your e-mail
passwords, indeed any user name password that you use through her
connection.

Yes she has access to your IP address, so what? It's child's play to find
your computer name, your IP address (her access point controls this by the
way) your MAC address, When you are on her access point.

--
David Hettel

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group for everyone
to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions addressed directly to me in
E-mail or news groups.

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"Marc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2644CCAD-31C9-4B7B-B398-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> My neighbor has given me permission to use her wireless internet access.
> She does not have security enabled, so I just connect to it. My questions
> are, a) could this allow her to access files on my computer? b) What
> would
> she see? My computer name? Just the IP address? c) Could she hack into
> my
> hard drive and look at files? d) What about inbound and outbound emails?
>
> Thanks,
> Marc

Hi
The Wireless security has to be On, otherwise the both of you are Not
secured from each other, and from other people.
She would know your computer name and local IP but that is not very relevant
to security issues in your situation.
Your computer is on the same Network as you friend. If you are not switching
On the Filesharing and use a software Firewall that block traffic between
LAN computer the content of you hard drive will be safe (unless she is a
super hacker).
Jack (MVP-Networking).


"Marc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2644CCAD-31C9-4B7B-B398-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> My neighbor has given me permission to use her wireless internet access.
> She does not have security enabled, so I just connect to it. My questions
> are, a) could this allow her to access files on my computer? b) What
> would
> she see? My computer name? Just the IP address? c) Could she hack into
> my
> hard drive and look at files? d) What about inbound and outbound emails?
>
> Thanks,
> Marc

You are pretty much as exposed as putting your computer directly onto the
public internet (e.g. using a modem). Your neighbour has controls over what
IP address you get.

Remember your data is out there in the big bad world prior to getting to
your shared access point. And pages you get at through a 128 bit encrypted
SSL pages are as secure on this shared connection as they are in a hotel or
starbucks.

Generally sharing connections is a bad idea unless you really trust the
other party. Its more a bad idea for your neighbour though - if you go
hacking into NASA or downloading illegal stuff - they are likely to get in
trouble.

But don't think that means you can get away with it, they will catch you
eventually... :-)

- Chris

"Marc" wrote:

> Hello,
>
> My neighbor has given me permission to use her wireless internet access.
> She does not have security enabled, so I just connect to it. My questions
> are, a) could this allow her to access files on my computer? b) What would
> she see? My computer name? Just the IP address? c) Could she hack into my
> hard drive and look at files? d) What about inbound and outbound emails?
>
> Thanks,
> Marc