Forum Discussion
Risk of system getting hacked through the internet or Wi-fi?
Dear everyone I am not a high profile person or anything like that. I just dislike the idea, that someone with bad intentions could access my personal files, documents, photos etc. (personal diar...
Thank you for your question and this is a valid concern not only for you but with everyone who is using any device connected to the internet. We couldn't setup a system and make it impossible to hack but we could make it very hard and expensive to hack , so the hacker would look for other target and normally hackers would go for easier target unless you have some special or sensitive data which is not your case.
First you need to secure your Wi-Fi, you should setup strong Wi-Fi password which you did and also place Wi-Fi in a location which is accessible with your family members and devices and less access with outsiders and neighbors, somewhere in the middle of house would be nice. You may also use a feature called MAC filtering, every device would have a MAC Address and you could setup it to only permit your devices to access the Wi-Fi and block other devices which are not listed and you may regularly check list of connected devices and in case you see any unknown devices, then investigate and if you believe it is a hacker, then block it and change your Wi-Fi password. All these settings are in your Wi-Fi router and may refer to its manual for additional protections.
However, as for Windows , it is important to make sure update your Windows, Anti-Malware product and all of your applications regularly and NEVER download anything from untrusted sources and never open suspicious files and emails and NEVER click on untrusted links. Hackers might use several methods to get into your system and let say if your system is not update, they only scan and find a vulnerable system and try to hack into it. If it is NOT possible, they will try to send you a malicious link , file , application or they might share it somewhere and you download it. These are basic tips and easy to implement but they provide you with a great security advantage.
Is there a method / log system, where I can if any alien devices has connected to my network?
If a hacker should get access to personal files through the internet, are these the only ways:
"they will try to send you a malicious link , file , application or they might share it somewhere and you download it" ?
If a hacker should get access to personal files through the internet, are these the only ways:
"they will try to send you a malicious link , file , application or they might share it somewhere and you download it" ?
In case you are referring the Wi-Fi network or router, you need to refer to the manual for your Wi-Fi router because it depends on the manufacturer.
You may also check the Event Viewer in Windows and also try open Resource Monitor to observe logs and activities in your Windows. These would need some advance knowledge but in the Resource Monitor you may check the network tab and see if there is any suspicious application or connection.Methods I shared are the most common ways but like I said, in case you won't update your Windows or turn off your Firewall, they will be able to gain access even if you are connected to the internet.
- Regarding the Event Viewer - what shall I look for, if I want to fint out, "hacker" has gotten access to my system?
I have used Resource Monitor alot. I have used it at it a couple of minutes, each week (this was for another topic). Here I have noted network activity and network processes. I have researched / clarified all the ID's i have seen, and none of them were "alien" or critical.- Resource Monitor will display in real-time.
Event Viewer would need some expertise and skills and you have to go through log files and know how to investigate it.
However, the most easier way would be performing a full scan with updated Anti-Malware program , because if anyone wants to access to your PC, normally they will place a Hacking tools or Trojans which are being detected by Anti-Malware product.