my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » A Couple Of Quick Questions About Logging Off The Computer (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: A Couple Of Quick Questions About Logging Off The Computer Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-23-2003 06:27 PM                     First question: If I push "Start" scroll to "Shutdown" and click on it and then select "Log Off yada", are hackers still capable of finding their way into the computer if it is connected to DSL? Second question: If I click on "Tools" in the MSIE tool bar, select "Internet Options" and select "Use Blank" and click on "Apply" and click "OK", can hackers still find their way into the computer if no other programs that access the internet are running, such as AIM 95, MSIM, etc? Thanks in advance.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 09-23-2003 07:54 PM                        1 - Yes... this doesn't disconnect the network interface. 2 - Yes... your homepage has nothing to do with your internet connection. Of course, you've got a properly configured firewall running on your machine, so your susceptibility is substantially reduced.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-23-2003 09:01 PM                     It should be noted not all DSL service has to be "always on." Software like EnterNET 300 can turn it "on" or "off". And then there are other more simple things such as shutting off the power to your cable/DSL modem. Hackers may have a lot of tricks up their sleeve, but they have NO software to make that power button switch on.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 09-23-2003 09:06 PM                        Ah yes, I totally overlooked the possibility that you're not using a Cable/DSL router. If you are using software provided by your DSL provider to connect to their service, it is most likely that you are disconnected from the internet when you log off the machine. Now if you are using a Cable/DSL router or even just a connection that doesn't require you to login to the service (like many cable services) then you are not protected if you simply log out of the machine.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 09-23-2003 10:02 PM                     So Daryl, which wire(s) would have to be cut on a standard cat 5 nic cable to prevent the connection? I'm thinking it may be worth Paul's while to cut open a cat 5 cable and put a box with a switch inline.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 09-23-2003 10:10 PM                    I noticed on my computer after the machine goes to sleep mode the network card deactivates does this prevent hackers from gaining acces?  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 09-23-2003 10:22 PM                        Disconnecting pin 1 or pin 3 (white/green or white/orange) would prevent the interface from working. Depending on your luck, putting a switch in the cable or making a box with a switch and a pair of jacks, the interface might not work regardless of the switch's position. Clean connections and the shortest un-twisted wire lengths possible are key. Darryl, if the network interface card deactivates when the computer goes into sleep mode then sure, nobody can access your machine... that is if Wake-On-LAN isn't enabled. However, it doesn't really make much sense to be concerned with that. Wouldn't you rather make sure your computer is secure both when you're not using it and when you are using it?  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 09-23-2003 10:34 PM                    the machine is secure when I am using and not using it I was just curious if the network card being in sleep mode was accesable if someone was able to hack through.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-23-2003 11:03 PM                     The situation I was adressing is with the funky peer-to-peer network at work which is on DSL. I decided to try an experiment at home. I just logged off on my networked Windows 98 machine. I need the password to get back on. OK, no problem. But when it is logged off, I came to this machine to see if I can access the drives of the computer I supposedly logged off the network. Yes....logging off didn't make a hoot of difference. Now what is the sense of having all that password crap in the computer? Seems to me it is practically worthless. Sure, it keeps people out of that specific machine but the damned backdoor is still open wide enough for anyone as well as a herd of Rhinoceri to get through. But yet I cannot acccess anything in this machine from the Windows 98 machine without a password I thought never existed. This machine is running W2K. When I set it up a couple of years ago, I don't recall setting any passwords to keep the rest of my network BS computers out of this machine. I don't know how to disable a password that does not exist so I can get into this machine from one of my other piles of junk. As mentioned, the best way is to turn a switch that says O-F-F or install one helluva firewall.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-24-2003 12:51 AM                     Paul, you're talking about network limitations in the consumer versions of Windows. Much of that stuff is an outright laffer. Just hit the Esc key to get by the "login" thingie when the computer boots. If you have multiple Win9x PCs networked together you can see the other PCs even if they are not "logged in". About the only thing you can do is disable file sharing on a hard disc or other type of disc. On any WindowsNT machine (or machines running Win2000 or WinXP Professional) you can assign specific access permissions not just for disc drives, but also file folders or specific files themselves --something UNIX has been able to do for 2 decades. Home networking is a slightly different animal than networking into broadband/DSL/cable Internet access. Software firewalls are okay, but if you have an "always on" connection (like most people using cable modems) you should get some kind of hardware firewall device. The cheapest solution is using a cable/DSL router, which acts as a firewall to outside access. I have a little 4 port Linksys unit to network my old SCSI PC to my newer (yet now aging) Dell PC. The documentation doesn't make it easy to configure in sharing DSL access, particularly when you have a dynamic changing IP address. But once it is working you can get online without using software like Enternet300. Of course other things apply, such as using constantly updated anti-viral software and spy-ware removal tools. However, in the end if I am not doing anything on the Internet I don't need to be connected to it. I shut off the power to my DSL modem. There is no way a hacker can break into your machine while that modem is powered down. To be honest, I see damage from lightning strikes as a greater threat. I have the habit of removing the phone line from the DSL modem, especially if I leave on a trip for a day or two.  |  IP: Logged Dino Panagiotopoulos Expert Film Handler Posts: 139 From: Windor, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2003 posted 09-24-2003 04:25 PM                     What I usually do before I log off at night, is go to my desktop PC (my laptop runs wirelessly) and disable the LAN connection in the network connections menu. Because My network cable runs through a wireless router first, the connection is always on and the only way to disable it is to turn off the LAN connection. It should be under the group of "LAN or High Speed Internet". This is the quickest easiest way to "disconnect" your machines from the DSL router.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-24-2003 04:56 PM                     Well, I splurged and spenmt 96 bucks (tax included) to get the Norton 2003 Internet Security Professional for my machine I am on now at work. Although this a whimpy 300mhz machine I was sort of pleased that Norton didn't bog this thihng down to a crawl like McAfee does. Installed all the updates - seems to be running OK. So far, so good. I also tried the "Escape" key to get around the password on this machine that has W2K. Feel much better now....It won't let me in without my password. Daryl, is this machine still on the internet if I select "Log Off Yada Yada." As mentioned, that is a useless attempt on Win98. I think you said "Yes", but I don't know if you were also refering to W2K. Anyway, thanks to all. You all have been a great help.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 09-24-2003 05:50 PM                        Yes, the W2K machine is still connected when you are logged off. Your software firewall, however, should still be active.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-24-2003 05:56 PM                     Thank you, Daryl.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 09-24-2003 06:15 PM                        Why not just unplug the ethernet cable when you are not using it? Very few hackers can get in if there is no physical connection to your computer. Or power the machine completely off. Only a couple hundred hackers could access your machine if it is completely powered down, and that's pretty good odds.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.