The Dangers of File & Printer Sharing
File and print sharing are easy to accomplish. It's possible to share specific files or entire folders and directories. There are some risks involved that can compromise personal information and the computer itself.
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Share Entire Hard Drive
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It's extremely dangerous to share an entire drive with permissions for reading and writing. This is the equivalent of exposing everything that you type, all of your documents and all of your passwords to another user, and it basically allows someone to access your entire computer. Read-only access is slightly better, but still exposes all of your information. It is not recommended that you share your entire hard drive.
Allow Anonymous Access
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You want to know who has access to your computer, so do not allow anonymous individuals to have any viewing capabilities. The biggest danger is that these people can store files -- which may be illegal or harmful -- on your computer without your knowledge. Remedy this by granting read-only access and enabling password protection for your folders.
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Share Personal Data
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Read-only access does not safeguard you from intruders. Certain folders pose a risk when shared at all because hidden information may be linked to them. Safeguard yourself by creating a new folder with no other personal files inside it specifically for sharing purposes.
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References
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