a tricky question

Hi -

I have my account on XP set up with a password. Also, when my screensaver comes on it requires a password to get back on.

Can someone please tell me this. If someone wanted to access my computer and get it up from being off, how hard would it be for them to do this? Is my password access easily worked around?

Simply put, how protected am I from a person who wanted to get into my system and look at my files and whatnot?

Thank you,
Saucie

 

Windows 95/98 were notorious for being hacked literally at the push of a couple of keys.
NT/2K and particularly XP are extremely hard to hack. Not impossible but hard enough to deter virtually all attempts at access. If your still worried, you must be hiding some dark secrets on your PC ;-) Relax... I equate it to home security, nothings 100% full proof but with the right deterents... XP pretty good though.

 

It'd be easy

 

dark secrets

Yes Paul, many, many secrets....actually though...I was just wondering what the truth was, I have heard it was easy and I have locked myself out of my own system and had quite a difficult time getting back in. Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Saucie

 

SW - for once I don't agree with Brett. XP is much better protected than 9x/ME in any case. But there are some things you can do to increase your safety level. If you need specifics on doing any of these, please post which ones.

1. Disable the Guest account.
2. Use "strong" passwords on your account, the screen saver and the built-in administrator account. Strong being a mixture of letters and other symbols such as numbers, the letters a mixture of upper and lower case, and a password greater than 8 characters in length. Should be OK to use the same one for each though. For instance, there are 'brute force' password cracking programs and they can peel out something like money in a couple of minutes. However, they would take hours and hours (or forever) to crack mY*8pAs^sWorD.
3. Under Security, add your user ID and remove "everyone" from the list of users authorized to access a folder you really want to protect. However, make sure you REMOVE the group rather than deny it access. Cause if you deny EVERYONE, that will include you.

Brett - explain "Easy" with XP.

 

Put your hard drive in a Safe!

Dear Ms. Wench, an interesting question

I did a little looking around and you might want to do a little reading to make you feel better or, maybe a little worse.

<ADMIN>
Post in violation of Rule #6

 

I'll reply via mail, Newt

 

Ah - rule #6. OK. Got it.

SW - I wouldn't worry too much if I were you unless you have a really dedicated and very computer literate person bringing specialized tools with them to try to crack into your system. And even then, I'm still not at all sure they could get in.

If you happen to have state secrets on your PC that would be worth any effort to learn, you may have a problem. If the FBI decides you got stuff on there they need to get and they take your PC, you may have a problem. Otherwise, you should be safe.

 

into XP

I am just concerned with my personal privacy. I have no major secrets that affect anyone other than me. However, it's the principle of the matter. And, I have been assuming that my passwords and start up on XP seem to suggest security and then I got wind of how easy it was for anyone basically to bypass this and it got me a bit worried. That was my basic question.

Are the security measures I go through on XP true security? Because I know anything on 98 was just to bop onto the bios screen or whatever to restart it another way. I just wanted to know if XP had the same vulnerability and I was just fooling myself.

I am more confused than ever......

 

Newt was quite correct in stating that XP is far more secure than 9X and that the password protection within XP can only be cracked using specialized tools.

Realistically, the chances of anyone going to such lengths to access your system are very small.

 

to dear sweet cerebral brett

Thank you Brett....I feel better now. Are you really from the isle of Man? Don't they have those weird cats there? Oh, I'm just playing, thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

Saucie Wench

 

Yes and yes