System-Native File Sharing: How to Protect Your Computer

Connected to UIUCnet? System-native file sharing probably isn't worth it.

For most users on the UIUCnet network, the vulnerabilities of system-native file sharing usually outweigh the benefits. The "network neighborhood" you see through the Windows Network Neighborhood option is huge, as anyone who's ever tried to search for a printer in the forest knows. If you enable file sharing to allow just a single user to have access to a single folder, then the file sharing mechanism is enabled, meaning that security flaws in the file-sharing mechanism can leave you vulnerable.

For the campus network, NetFiles is a safer alternative to system-native file sharing. If you must share files and folders through the Windows network neighborhood, make sure that you also have a personal firewall to help reduce the chances of intrusion. (The AppleTalk protocol is no longer transferred across the network core, though it can be used in smaller sections of the campus network.)

If you don't need this kind of file sharing, you can safely disable your Windows or Macintosh native file sharing without affecting your ability to use client-server or peer-to-peer shares.

Connected to a small home network? System-native file sharing can be valuable.

If you're thinking about sharing files on a much smaller network -- for example, a home network with two or three computers and a firewalled router between you and the rest of the world -- then the benefits of system-native file sharing usually outweigh the risks. If you have a small number of computers and users on your local network and that network is well separated from the rest of the Internet, it's hard to beat the speed and convenience of being able to move your files around with a couple of clicks regardless of which computer they're on.

However, make sure that you follow the security steps described in the Security Wizard to keep your system up to date and any file-sharing vulnerabilities repaired.