Is my computer more vulnerable if a home network is set up on my Windows XP computers, compared to if it was not connected to a network? Are there any safety precautions that i should take? Can hackers hack in to my home network easily?
Are there any safety/security concerns with setting up a home network on WindowsXP (for printer sharing)?internet security
There are multiple answers to your question.
Sharing your printer is not in and of itself a security risk. However, this means you have certain capabilities within Windows enabled (the ability to act as a server), and security holes exist; that is, someone might exploit your situation.
There are no absolutes about security. It is really a matter of deterance. Make your system secure enough that it is not worth the trouble to defeat your security.
That said, note that printer sharing and file sharing are two separate options within Windows. Be sure NOT to enable file sharing, but printer sharing ONLY.
I assume you are connected to the Internet via a router; most of the routers I've encountered default to not accepting connections requested from an external source, so there is another layer of security. Also, your router is performing NAT (Network Address Translation); in short, the actual IP address of each PC in your home network is not known to an outsider. HOWEVER, if you are using the default internal scheme (192.168.0.n) then these addresses are easy to guess.
In simple terms, if you do not have file sharing enabled on any computers, you are relatively safe, but never totally safe from intrusion. Use your Windows firewall for additional security.
Are there any safety/security concerns with setting up a home network on WindowsXP (for printer sharing)?network security
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