By Miguel Leiva-Gomez for MakeTechEasier.com
You’ve probably heard of how hackers easily infiltrate Windows networks of unsuspecting people. If you stick your head out of the water frequently and interact with other people on the Internet, you might also run the risk of being attacked at some point in time or another. By following a couple of tips, you can hold your own against those who want to harm you.
1. Disable NetBIOS
I’m not kidding. Do it right now, if you haven’t done it already. I can’t stress how important it is to have NetBIOS disabled on a computer. With the feature enabled, you basically expose your entire network topography and shared files. Anyone and their dog can just hop into your network, access a specific directory tied to your IP, and see your most intimate documents. To disable NetBIOS on your computer, you need to access your network adapter’s settings:
1. Click your “Start” menu, then “Control Panel”.
2. Click “Network and Internet.”
3. Click “Network and Sharing Center”.
4. Click “Change adapter settings”. This takes you to all the network adapters on your computer.
5. Right-click a network adapter you would like to disable NetBIOS on, and click “Properties”.
6. Select “Internet Protocol Version 4″ from the list in the new window and click the “Properties” button below the list. See the image below if you’re lost.
7. Click “Advanced” in the new configuration window then click on the “WINS” tab near the top.
8. Click “Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP” then “OK.”
This, of course, addresses only part of the problem. Windows has other security holes which can be exploited, but you already took care of a big one.
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This excerpt is shared with permission from maketecheasier.com.
