| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : MARCH 15, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| TECHNOLOGY & YOU
Help Desk Q: In response to my Feb. 22 column on the privacy risks of connecting to the Internet via cable TV, a reader says: ''I would definitely want to have our two computers networked so we could access the Internet on both computers at the same time. But I do not see how it would be possible for another computer outside my home to access data on my computer just because we both access the Internet through the same cable system. Am I sacrificing privacy for the high speed of the cable?'' A: A cable Internet connection can add new meaning to Windows' Network Neighborhood. On many cable systems, a PC may be accessible to any other computer sharing the same cable distribution point. In fact, @Home Networks, the largest U.S. cable Internet service provider, recommends ''against enabling file or printer sharing of any sort.'' That's sound but inconvenient advice. In time, cable models will get firewall functions built in. For now, if you want to enable sharing on a computer connected via cable, you should require a hard-to-guess password for access to your computer. You should also encrypt files you regard as sensitive. BY STEPHEN H. WILDSTROM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
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