Broadband: Are You Exposed?

Appendix I:
Frequently Asked Questions, and Resources

A Few Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How do I see my IP address?

For Windows95/98, go to Start menu, then Run, then type: winipcfg /all or for NT, go to Start menu, then Run, then type: ipconfig /all This will show your IP number plus a lot more information. (Seeing the same IP number more than once does not indicate if it is fixed or dynamically assigned. Ask your ISP for more information.)

For Macintosh, go to the Apple menu, then Control Panels, then to the TCP/IP control panel.

Another method of finding out your IP number:
Gibson Research's Shields Up! bypasses any proxy server and returns your computer's actual IP number.

Question: How can I see shared resources on my home PC?

In Windows98, go to Start, then Run, and type: \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is your home computer's IP number). The shared resoureces at that location will be shown. You can also type this in an Internet Explorer window.

Question: How do I limit access to my shared resources?

Microsoft's "Network Neighborhood" allows you to treat other computers on your network--and their shared resources--as if they were inside of your Network Neighborhood folder.

Windows95/98, NT, and Macintosh operating systems offer two levels of access control: resource-level and user-level passwords. Resource-level allows you to set a password on a specific folder or device. User-level allows you to set a password for a user who can have access to many folders and devices.

For more information on networking with Windows95, see the clear, step-by-step section called "Letting Others Access Your Computer" from Intel(R) InBusiness[tm] products: Networking with Windows* 95: http://www.intel-inside.co.gg/support/inbusiness/24057.htm#5

Another good page for disabling file/print sharing on Windows95/98 or Macintosh computers: http://www.home.com/statement.html

Question: How do I set a password on my printer? I'm using Windows9x.

You can and should set passwords on shared printers and other devices. For a printer, go to your Control Panels then open the Printers folder. Right-click on the printer you wish to share, then select Properties. Go to the Sharing tab and enter a password where indicated. Click OK. Confirm your password if prompted.

Question: Where can I find more information on how to use encryption?

Scott Hauert's PGP front-ends for Windows users: http://www.hauert.net/pgpwins.html and PGP front-ends for other operating systems: http://www.hauert.net/pgpother.html

Some General Security Resources

Bugtraq
http://www.securityfocus.com/

Secure-Me (automated security testing)
http://www.secure-me.net/ and their related project: DSL Reports Security page:
http://www.dslreports.com/information/rated/security

PGP Freeware
http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html
(MIT distributes PGP Freeware without cost for personal, non-commercial use. See http://www.pgp.com/ for commercial use.)

Purdue University's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance And Security FTP Archives
ftp://coast.cs.purdue.edu/pub/

Interesting, recent article on ZDnet called "Home is where the hack is" (Apr 10, 2000)
http://www.zdnet.com/enterprise/stories/main/0,10228,2524160,00.htm

Internet Sharing from cable-modems.org:
http://www.cable-modems.org/articles/internet_sharing/

For Macintosh Operating Systems:

Macintosh Security
http://securemac.com/

DoShelp.com's Protection Tools For Macs
http://www.doshelp.com/Mac/protection.htm

"AppleShare IP 6.3: About Sharing, Share Points, and Access Privileges"
http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n60612

Regarding Microsoft Security:

NT security info
http://www.disastercenter.com/ntos.htm

Security Recommendations for Windows Desktop Computers from Virginia Commonwealth University (Revised 01/00)
http://views.vcu.edu/ucsmcv/faq_pages/WinSecurity.html

A Few Microsoft security pages:

"For Starters: #8. How to Feel Secure"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/essentials/forstarters/starts0709.asp

Microsoft's Windows Security page:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/windows.asp
(How annoying. I need to have scripting turned on to access some of the relevant content on these pages.)

Two articles on Outlook Mail Attachments: OL97: Mail Attachment Security Add-in Available on Web
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q165/1/16.asp and
Outlook E-mail Attachment Security Update
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q235/3/09.asp

A few of the more "advanced" sites:

Home or Next: Appendix II: A Note from Eugene Spafford on Microsoft Security