A friend of mine lives close to someone whom she describes as a "nutcase" - he's being a pain in neighbourhood issues. Anyway he claims to have hacked her email, and has sent her solicitor a copy of an email to prove it.
Now, she has a typical wireless setup, with a Netgear router and a couple of XP machines. The default password to the router has not been changed, and there is no security key for wireless access. However:
1. The email is 4 months old, and the contents are a typical thing that you would print out and then throw away. So he can't have accessed her email from the web, since it hasn't been on the web since July.
2. There is no file sharing set up on the network, just the default shares.
So I reckon he's been through the paper rubbish (separate outside bin, public access). I'm assuming he doesn't work with Jack Bauer or Spooks here in the UK, and has not got the technology that would be required to hack emails. I'm assuming with no filesharing the worst he could do is wreck the router config, or jam up web access, neither of which has happened. Yes I know that plenty of people who read this could do plenty more, but he's not a computer guru. I don't know what email package she's on - most likely Outlook Express.
Finally, my friend has wisely changed her email password, and downloaded another firewall. I'm going to put in a wireless access passkey, change the router access username and password, and maybe change the local ip addresses from the ubiquitous 198.xxx etc. Oh, and buy a shredder. Is there anything else that should be considered? To see off nosey neighbours, as opposed to the intelligence community? I'd appreciate some thoughts
Martin
Now, she has a typical wireless setup, with a Netgear router and a couple of XP machines. The default password to the router has not been changed, and there is no security key for wireless access. However:
1. The email is 4 months old, and the contents are a typical thing that you would print out and then throw away. So he can't have accessed her email from the web, since it hasn't been on the web since July.
2. There is no file sharing set up on the network, just the default shares.
So I reckon he's been through the paper rubbish (separate outside bin, public access). I'm assuming he doesn't work with Jack Bauer or Spooks here in the UK, and has not got the technology that would be required to hack emails. I'm assuming with no filesharing the worst he could do is wreck the router config, or jam up web access, neither of which has happened. Yes I know that plenty of people who read this could do plenty more, but he's not a computer guru. I don't know what email package she's on - most likely Outlook Express.
Finally, my friend has wisely changed her email password, and downloaded another firewall. I'm going to put in a wireless access passkey, change the router access username and password, and maybe change the local ip addresses from the ubiquitous 198.xxx etc. Oh, and buy a shredder. Is there anything else that should be considered? To see off nosey neighbours, as opposed to the intelligence community? I'd appreciate some thoughts
Martin
Facebook
Twitter