XP - Password question

[vsrdan]

If the computer is kept logged on "all the time" (as administrator) connected to internet, would having a Windows login password make it more secure?

 

[rush24t3]

The administrator account DOESN'T already have a login password?

 

[Ndel]

unless your not behind a router or firewall yeah, bad idea

the admin account does not automatically have a password unless you specify otherwise. this is fixed in vista where the default account is not an admin account but a user account, and with uac to access administrative priveleges. This is a safer practice.

If you are truly anal and you are still using XP, best practice is to create a user account, and use that instead to surf the internet instead of an administrator account.

 

[vsrdan]

The administrator account DOESN'T already have a login password?

No, I didn't set one when installing XP.

 

[xxEIEIOxx]

XP Pro prompts for a password on install for Admin. XP Home does not have an Admin password by default, and a lot of OEM's don't set one on either version. My laptop came with a blank Admin password.

 

[DeaconFrost]

It is a good idea for every account on the computer to have a password.

 

[cybereality]

Something tells me having a password is more secure than no password. Who would have thought?

 

[pallesen]

Something tells me having a password is more secure than no password. Who would have thought?

That actually depends, if only talking about network access. If you're running xp pro with simple file sharing disabled, you cannot use an account without a password to gain network access (default policy). That is more secure than a weak password.

If simple file sharing is enabled, you cannot use any other account than the guest to gain access.

 

[xxEIEIOxx]

That actually depends, if only talking about network access. If you're running xp pro with simple file sharing disabled, you cannot use an account without a password to gain network access (default policy). That is more secure than a weak password.

If simple file sharing is enabled, you cannot use any other account than the guest to gain access.

Correct. You may be safer on a network without one. I would password every account on a laptop though. Way too easy to get into a stolen one if you are missing a password.

 

[pallesen]

I can't see how a password can protect anything if the pc is stolen, not unless you have efs encrypted some files and is using a very strong password

 

[pallesen]

If you're using a normal user account, it is a good idea to have your admin account password protected, though. Otherwise it would be easy for a virus to just runas itself as admin

 

[xxEIEIOxx]

I can't see how a password can protect anything if the pc is stolen, not unless you have efs encrypted some files and is using a very strong password

A password would stop 99% of people from doing anything but reformatting your PC. If there wasn't one, they would log on to it and see what useful data they could get off of it.

 

[vsrdan]

I put a password for Admin. account and started using another account (setup as power user) to leave the computer on during the day (VoIP phone is connected to the computer).

My question [again] was: Even if I have a password for the account, when the computer is logged in (and connected to internet), does it matter whether the account has a password or not?

 

[xxEIEIOxx]

I put a password for Admin. account and started using another account (setup as power user) to leave the computer on during the day (VoIP phone is connected to the computer).

My question [again] was: Even if I have a password for the account, when the computer is logged in (and connected to internet), does it matter whether the account has a password or not?

Ultimately, I would say no. Your most likely threat would be a malicious program, and if you picked one of those up, it would run on your already logged on account. As far as a direct hack, that is what a firewall is for, so again, it doesn't really matter.

 

[vsrdan]

Ultimately, I would say no. Your most likely threat would be a malicious program, and if you picked one of those up, it would run on your already logged on account. As far as a direct hack, that is what a firewall is for, so again, it doesn't really matter.

That's what I thought, too. However, by keeping the computer logged in to a non-administrator account would reduce the troubles by virus/malware issues - am I correct?

 

[Mithent]

That's what I thought, too. However, by keeping the computer logged in to a non-administrator account would reduce the troubles by virus/malware issues - am I correct?

If you generally use a limited user account then you limit the damage potential, yes - this is pretty much like using UAC in Vista, and programs would be launched without permission to touch system files. If it's a Power User account, or just another user in the Administrators group, then it doesn't make much difference (the Power User/Administrator distinction is pretty useless and was dropped in Vista).

 

[xxEIEIOxx]

If you generally use a limited user account then you limit the damage potential, yes - this is pretty much like using UAC in Vista, and programs would be launched without permission to touch system files. If it's a Power User account, or just another user in the Administrators group, then it doesn't make much difference (the Power User/Administrator distinction is pretty useless and was dropped in Vista).

If it's not on a domain there won't be a power user option. It will be admin or limited user. Hopefully he went for the limited user. However if it's just sitting there idle and there is a NAT router or firewall involved there shouldn't be too much risk anyway.