OK, here is a site that discusses Windows File and Printer Sharing, and trashes poor Steve Gibson pretty thoroughly. Steve, the venerated author of SPINRITE, GRC.COM, and ShieldsUp, maintains that file and print sharing is pretty dangerous. These guys maintain that NETBIOS with strong passwords is safe, and that Steve Gibson is an alarmist. I would probably fall on the side of respecting Mr. Gibson's opinion, myself, but double checking ShieldsUp's results. http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/netbios.htm#ScopeID Here is a list of some alternative security checkers, other than ShieldsUp, which I will try later on. http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/index.htm#CheckSecurity --Lawrence Just in case you weren't paranoid, here is the latest scam. A company you never heard of calls up cell phone numbers at random. They claim that they are a collection agency, and you are required to pay up some small odd-sounding amount owed to a large, impersonal sounding company like ATT or a big bank. They just need your SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER to verify the account. If you sucker in, and give it to them, then a bogus unpaid bill goes on your credit report for $112.53 or something like that. You can spend a lot of time and effort disputing the bill, or you can just pay up. The scam is always run across State lines. The FBI won't persue anyone who steals less than $5000. Local cops can't go after them, they are out of jurisdiction. Attourneys General don't bother with thefts under $50,000. So these guys just go about charging small amounts to random consumers and get away with it every day! Try this out to learn more: http://www.badbusinessbureau.com/reports/ripoff71447.htm --Lawrence the REALLY paranoid -----Original Message----- From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Lawrence Lile Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 1:12 PM To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public. Subject: RE: [OT] Windows File & printer sharing - dangerous? I have one machine running Win XP and one running Win 98. The Win XP machine has password access to the machine itself, but not to any directories, never tried to do that. The Win 98 machine has password access as a possibility. --LL -----Original Message----- From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of Spehro Pefhany Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 12:56 PM To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public. Subject: RE: [OT] Windows File & printer sharing - dangerous? At 12:30 PM 12/29/2004 -0600, you wrote: >If Windows File and Printer Sharing is implemented behind a firewall >router, is this a security risk? > >I have two computers, one printer, and a home network on a Linksys >firewall router. File and Printer sharing is enabled to allow both >computers to print. So far neither computer is set up to share it's >files, although that would of course be an option. Each computer of >course has it's own software firewall and virus software and Windoze >security holes is updated regularly. > >How secure is such an arrangement? > >--Lawrence the Paranoid What O/S? Win2K has permissions and passwords that you can set up. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.822 / Virus Database: 560 - Release Date: 12/22/2004 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.822 / Virus Database: 560 - Release Date: 12/22/2004 -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.822 / Virus Database: 560 - Release Date: 12/22/2004 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.822 / Virus Database: 560 - Release Date: 12/22/2004 -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist