Home Computer Security

Sat Jul 3 15:06:04 2004 Home Computer Security

Posted by Tony Lawrence
Search Keys: security vpn pptp remote access home user telecommuter
Referencing: http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html

I see more and more firms using remote access for home users - VPN's, PPTP sessions, pcAnywhere and others. Unfortunately, too few give any consideration to the security aspects of the home computers that will be connecting, and sometimes that may mean that they are opening up their company networks to problems they wouldn't otherwise see.

There are, of course, other reasons to be concerned about home computer security: every compromised home machine just adds to the mess we all have to deal with. The referenced page is a good one to point people at - assuming you can get them to pay any attention at all. That's probably the biggest problem: it isn't that home computers can't be made more secure, it's that home users often neglect even the basics. It's not at all unusual to see completely unpatched machines directly connected to a cable modem with a public ip address.

Another good primer site is this Spam Primer at http://www.spamprimer.com/

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