How to Protect Your Data From Attack While Online

If file sharing is enabled on your computer, your hard disk is available to anyone on your network. The "always connected" benefit of cable and xDSL Internet service also results in increased exposure to crooks, pranksters, and voyeurs. These instructions explain how to disable file sharing (which will disable your home network, if any).

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cable Modems
• Modems
• DSL Lines

Windows 95/98

1. Click Start.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Control Panel.
4. Double-click Network.
5. Click the Configuration tab.
6. Click the File and Print Sharing button.
7. Make sure the box to the left of "I want to be able to give others access to my files" is blank.
8. Click OK twice.

Mac Operating System

9. Select Control Panels from under the Apple menu.
10. Select the Sharing Setup or File Sharing control panel.
11. Look for a Start button and "File sharing is off" in Status window. If you see a Stop button, proceed to next step. (If you see a Start button, file sharing is already off.)
12. Click Stop.
13. Type "10" in box under "How many minutes until file sharing is disabled?"
14. Click OK.
15. Close the window when the control panel indicates that file sharing is off.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to share files with others on a local network and still be safe, then you can set access privileges to only share files with specified users. See your Mac OS online help (under the Help or ? menu) for instructions.