Security Issue

Hi, Good Day Everyone,

How can I secure my laptop running Windows 7 from the other computers in our network, We are 3 In the room with my two roommates, They are network expert, so I am afraid that maybe they might hack or whatever its in my laptop using the wireless network that we are sharing.

Thanks and God Bless

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Comments

cyberguypr

One question only: Why the cross-posting and 3 topics on the same thing?

In a nutshell, security 101:
- Make sure Windows Firewall is ON
- Always have latest Windows patches
- Make sure you have an up to date antivirus
- Turn off file and printer sharing
- Remove unnecessary apps
- Remove unused windows accounts
- Rotate your password
- Turn off wireless when not using it
- If you have the proper version of Windows, use Bitlocker
- If really paranoid get a personal firewall product
- If still really really paranoid get a machine on AWS or Azure, RDP from your laptop, don't keep anything on the laptop.

P.S. You need new roommates.

idevuser

More Suggestions:
Follow cyberguypr steps to secure your laptop but if that isn't possible for you then simply buy bitdefender total security or kaspersky internet security for your laptop.
or
Buy another internet line but if that isn't possible for you then go for cheap VPN service(it will be hard for them to see what you do online).

If aforementioned things are not possible for you then don't use wireless when you see them using it, just disconnect your laptop from wireless.

Vask3n

cyberguypr wrote: »

One question only: Why the cross-posting and 3 topics on the same thing?

In a nutshell, security 101:
- Make sure Windows Firewall is ON
- Always have latest Windows patches
- Make sure you have an up to date antivirus
- Turn off file and printer sharing
- Remove unnecessary apps
- Remove unused windows accounts
- Rotate your password
- Turn off wireless when not using it
- If you have the proper version of Windows, use Bitlocker
- If really paranoid get a personal firewall product
- If still really really paranoid get a machine on AWS or Azure, RDP from your laptop, don't keep anything on the laptop.

P.S. You need new roommates.

Just do this for now, especially the file/printer sharing being turned off.

It doesn't sound like his roomates have tried anything, just that he is worried they will.

Pupil

Unless your roommates are pricks, I don't see why they'd do that. You mentioned that they are network experts. Script kiddies get off on doing stuff like that, not network experts. What makes you think they'd want to target your computer?

More easy to implement suggestions:
- use Windows as a standard user, NOT Administrator
- get rid of Internet Explorer and use Chrome/Firefox w/ Adblock, other useful plugins, etc.
- download and use EMET
- don't click on ****
- don't use the same password for all of your accounts/services
- don't set easy to guess recovery questions
- don't open unsolicited emails, learn how to detect spam and delete them, don't let curiosity get the better of you
- only download files/applications from official sources/channels

Not to scare you or anything, but it is possible for your roommates to intercept all your traffic by performing a man-in-the-middle attack, so if that's a legitimate concern, you should seriously consider start paying for a VPN service. And seeing how your roommates live in the same space as you, if they are able to gain physical access to your laptop, it's pretty much game over. Perhaps consider moving out?