Page 713 - Windows 10 May 2019 Update The Missing Manual: The Book That Should Have Been in the Box

feature that makes your PC announce its presence to others on the

network. (Unfortunately, lurking hackers using special scanning
software can still find you if they’re determined.)

Turn off file sharing. You certainly don’t want any of your

overcaffeinated neighbors to get access to your files. Open the
Start menu. Start typing sharing until you see “Manage advanced
sharing settings” in the results list; click it. In the resulting window,

turn off all the Sharing options.

Watch for the padlock. You generally don’t have to worry about

online stores and banks. Whenever you see the little padlock icon
in your web browser (or whenever the URL in the address bar
begins with “https” instead of “http”), you’re visiting a secure

website. Your transmissions are encrypted in both directions and
can’t be snooped.

Look over your shoulder. Hacking isn’t always high-tech stuff; it
can be as simple as “shoulder surfing,” in which someone looks
over your shoulder to see the password you’re typing. Make sure

no one can look at what you’re typing.

Don’t leave your laptop alone. Coffee has a way of moving
through your system fast, but if you have to leave for the restroom,

don’t leave your laptop unattended. Pack it up into its case and take
it with you, or bring along a lock you can use to lock it to a table.

Use a virtual private network (VPN). If somebody intercepts
your “Hi Mom” email, it may not be the end of the world. If you’re

doing serious corporate work, though, and you want maximum
safety, you can pay for wireless virtual private network (VPN)
software that encrypts all the data you’re sending and receiving.
Nobody will be able to grab it out of the air using snooping

software at a hotspot.

For example, HotSpotVPN (hotspotvpn.com) costs about a hundred
bucks a year. You get a password, user name, and the internet