System status at welcome screen

Howdy,

We've added a user to our WinXP SP2 Home computer, and want to leave the computer on the welcome screen when no one is using it. I am concerned that the computer may be vulnerable between logons. Do I have reason to be?

 

In theory it could be vulnerable if your administrator account isn't well passworded.

In practice, it's nothing I would worry about. You will be safe unless a really clever person has a really strong reason to spend lots of time trying to attack the PC and has some way to get access. In that case, you would be vulnerable when any user was logged on and especially if the PC had any sort of network or internet connection.

All I can really tell you is that I have a similar situation and am not worried about it.

 

Thanks, Newt. Does it make any difference that we are on cable, so we're always on? And we don't have a password assigned to our regular account (it's our daughter on the new account, so it's not a matter of an untrusted user) - would that affect a hacker's ability to access the system?

 

Again in theory, lack of passwords on all your accounts leaves an opening and the "always on" cable gives a wider window.

One big point in favor of routinely operating with a normal user account (one that is only a member of the Users group rather than Power Users or Administrators) is the inability of that account to make system changes so even if someone manages to get in, they can't do much damage.

Make sure the Guest account is disabled (Pro does it by default at install but Home does not); make sure the Administrator account has a serious password. After that, I'd say you would be pretty safe.

Note that with XP-home, you must log on in safe mode and using the Administrator account to make the security changes.