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Setting up a network with a broadband
connection opens up a new world of communication and sharing for your
family or small office. You can share your high-speed Internet connection,
as well as files, folders, and printers, with other computers. This helps
keeps work and play on the network smooth, fast, and convenient.
In this new world of communication and convenience, however, it's
important to safeguard your resources so that you're only sharing them
with those you intend to. It's a reality: An always-on broadband
connection does expose your computers to potential security risks, such as
unauthorized intrusions and viruses, any time the computers are connected
to a local area network (LAN)
or to the Internet. The good news is that you can take straightforward
measures to help safeguard your network security.
The recommendations in this article apply to both wired (Ethernet) and
wireless networks. |
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Even the best security hardware and
software in the world can be compromised by a password that's easy to
decipher. Setting strong passwords on your computers, shared files, and
e-mail accounts, is vital to protecting your software and personal data.
Follow these guidelines to create secure
passwords:
- The longer the better. Always use at
least seven characters, more if possible. The more characters in your
password, the harder it is for someone to guess the password.
- Never use a word from the dictionary.
Programs exist that can systematically check every word in the
dictionary against your password.
- If the password field accepts it, use
a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Use at least one number and one
symbol in your password. Don't use numbers in place of similar
letters, and don't use consecutive letters or numbers.
- Avoid using passwords that can easily
be guessed. Don't use any part of your logon name, and resist using
personal references to help you remember. For example,
"John1970" is a bad password because it references personal
information; "7Rj%X10y" is a good password because it is
random.
Setting strong passwords can be tricky
because the very elements that make them strong can make them hard to
remember. Even so, don't compromise. Here's a tip: Create a password from
a phrase. Instead of using a key word, choose a memorable event in your
life and convert it to secret code. For example:
- Using first letters of the phrase
"I went to Ft. Lauderdale in 85!" would translate to:
IwtF.Li85!
- Using last letters of the same
phrase, and reversing capitals, would translate to: iTOT.eN85+
Once you've created a password, use common
sense to protect it from others:
- Keep it to yourself!
- Don't write it down. If you must do
so, don't keep your password written down in an obvious place such as
in a wallet or on your monitor.
- Don't share it with anyone. If you
absolutely must share the password, then change it as soon as possible
afterward.
- Change it every few months.
- Create a unique one for extremely
sensitive information, such as financial records. For example, do not
use the same password for your online banking account that you already
use to access your e-mail.
To get the very latest word on password
recommendations, see Create
Strong Passwords on the Microsoft Security and Privacy site.
One of the most effective steps you can
take to help secure your network is to configure a hardware firewall
between your local network and the Internet. The Microsoft® Broadband
Networking base stations include an integrated firewall to help protect
your network against malicious transmissions — and the firewall is
turned on by default.
Just as the name implies, a firewall acts as a barrier or buffer zone
between your local network and the Internet. A firewall allows you to
specify what information can be communicated from the computers on your
network to the Internet and from the Internet to the computers on your
network. It checks data packets being transmitted to your network and
discards any suspicious data.
Network Address Translation (NAT) helps
provide another layer of protection against hackers trying to access the
computers on your local network. For this reason, it's important to use a
base station (gateway or router) that provides NAT, such as a Microsoft
Broadband Networking base station.
NAT hides the Internet Protocol or IP
addresses of each computer on your local network, so that only the
base station's IP address is visible. This makes it more difficult for
hackers to determine the specific IP address for any one of the computers
on your network, and thus helps prevent unauthorized access to your
network while you're online.
Any time you bring files or other
information into your computer from outside sources, such as files that
are e-mail attachments, files on floppy disks, downloaded files from a
network, or even Web pages that you view on the Internet, you risk getting
a computer virus, passed on either intentionally or unintentionally. A
virus can manifest itself in any number of ways, from printing a harmless
message on your screen to transmitting the contents of your hard disk to a
hacker on the other side of the world.
You need to have antivirus software running on all computers to ensure
that they don't acquire viruses from files you open. An antivirus program
can monitor all incoming files, e-mail messages, and Web pages,
automatically quarantining suspicious files and notifying you of
suspicious behavior.
Note Some antivirus software also includes a software firewall to help
protect your computer. If you are using a firewall in a device like a
Microsoft base station, do not install a software firewall. Running two
firewalls on your network at the same time will lead to connectivity and
speed issues with your Internet access.
After you install an antivirus program, be sure to do the following:
- Update the antivirus program
regularly. Antivirus manufacturers release updates and new
downloadable virus definitions, as new computer viruses become known.
A virus definition gives your antivirus program the ability to
identify and remove the new virus. Typically, you can download these
updates from the manufacturer's Web site. Some virus programs can be
configured to periodically update your definitions automatically.
- Scan all your disk drives for viruses
after you first install the antivirus program and every few months
thereafter.
- If your antivirus program has the
capability, set it to constantly monitor your computer.
- Configure your antivirus program to
monitor incoming and outgoing e-mail messages. Or you can scan e-mail
attachments yourself. E-mail attachments are the most common method of
virus transmission.
- Scan all floppy disks and CDs when
you first insert them in your computer.
One of the advantages of connecting your
computers through a network is the ability to make resources such as files
and folders available to other computers on the network (a process called
“sharing”). But if your network is connected to the Internet,
anonymous intruders might have access to those shared resources. To keep
files secure, it's best to share them with other computers only when
necessary.
If you do need to share files, ensure that you protect them with
share-level access control (also called "permissions"). This is
a security feature of the Microsoft Windows® operating system that
enables you to limit other users' level of access to shared resources and
to prevent unwanted users on the network or on the Internet from accessing
them at all.
The procedures for controlling access to your files vary, depending on the
version of Windows that is installed on your computer. For specific
instructions and information, see Set
Permissions on Shared Network Resources.
The best way to protect your system is to
stay aware of security risks and how you can prevent them. Here are some
additional tips to keep in mind:
- Think before opening an e-mail
message or e-mail attachment. Viruses can easily be transmitted
through files attached to a message. If you don't know the sender, or
if the e-mail text seems suspicious, don't open the message or the
attachment.
- Don't open anything with a file name
ending in .exe or .com unless you know exactly what it is and where it
came from. Question the file even if it is from a trusted source. For
example, some viruses will use your friend's e-mail address book to
send themselves to you, as if they were a communication from your
friend.
- Only visit Web pages that you trust.
Viruses can be downloaded to your computer from a malicious Internet
site.
- Be aware that new viruses and hacking
programs are created all the time. Pay attention to bulletins from
antivirus companies about viruses spreading across the Internet.
- Learn the common signs of viruses:
unusual messages that appear on your screen, decreased system
performance, missing data, and an inability to access your hard disk.
If you notice any of these problems, update your antivirus definitions
and scan your computer immediately to minimize the chances of losing
data.
- Turn off your computer when not in
use. In addition to saving energy, you will make it impossible for
anyone to access your files.
- Frequently check the Microsoft
Windows Update Web site to get the latest fixes for security
problems. If you use other programs that access the Internet, such as
Microsoft Office or an e-mail program, check with the manufacturer to
get critical security updates.
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Welcome
back letter September 2004
Hello
ParadiseRV.Net customers,
Welcome back to Paradise Resort Park for another season of fun in the
sun! During your summer away we have made many upgrades and changes to the
network to increase the stability and speed of your wireless Internet service.
Some of the upgrades that we have completed over the summer are,
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A
newly revised website which provides information on new promotions,
products, and scheduled maintenance hours. Visit www.paradiserv.net.
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We
have completed the install of a Bandwidth Control Unit (BCU). This will help
to prevent network slow downs and provide extra security on the network.
-
Streamlined
the billing process, we are now be capable of automatically drafting Visa
and MasterCard payments each month in the amount of your monthly bill.
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We
have also increased the speed of our network backbone by 200%! From 1.5MB to
3MB
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We
have now standardized on a new external smart antenna. With these antennas,
we will be able to provide you with detailed troubleshooting and repair of
your wireless connection immediately, without you having to wait for or
incur the costs of an onsite service call.
To ensure that everyone is capable of enjoying the full benefits of our new
upgrades, an antenna upgrade on your end is needed. All new installs and trouble
spots will have a smart antenna. These
external antennas will cost $205.00 installed. There are two and three month
payment options available for those of you who prefer them. These external
antennas are key to the stability and quality of your wireless service. This
decision was made to address all of the various issues that we encountered last
year with USB installations.
Future
email communications can be sent to following addresses based upon their subject
matter.
Thank you,
ParadiseRV.Net
Management
There are currently no coming
events scheduled...
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