windows network w/mac-wireless

[ChazLM]

At my workplace we have a windows 2000 server w/ 4 desktops and 3 wireless laptops. I have a 17" pb 1.67. i use the wireless network to jump on the internet. I don't have sharing setup in preferences, i just have airport setup to recognize the wireless network. Am i at risk if their system gets infected w/ a virus/worm and vise versa. I do have my firewall up.

Thanks in advance.

chaz

 

[mkrishnan]

At my workplace we have a windows 2000 server w/ 4 desktops and 3 wireless laptops. I have a 17" pb 1.67. i use the wireless network to jump on the internet. I don't have sharing setup in preferences, i just have airport setup to recognize the wireless network. Am i at risk if their system gets infected w/ a virus/worm and vise versa. I do have my firewall up.

Well, there are a few possibilities, I think...

1) Were there a worm or virus that launched attacks on computers on the network from another computer or server, yes, it would attack you, but yes, your firewall would almost certainly protect you, assuming you don't have a crazy number of ports open.

2) If you ask for a file to come over to your compuer, you open the door. That counts for anything like an exchange server that provides you with mail.

All this is modulated by the fact that no virii or worms that are in the wild are able to act on MacOS. In other words, as long as your firewall settings are reasonably tight, you should not have anything to worry about. I do not take any special precautions in connecting to wireless networks at school.