2
Apparently a password protected copy of Windows XP can be easily hacked using methods like this one:
Can anyone inform me how to protect my data from this type of attack?
Thanks!
Edit: Limiting physical access to a laptop is not a feasible security solution! Theft may still occur.
2"Limit physical access" is the only correct answer to "how do I prevent this type of attack", regardless of feasibility. If you want to know how to protect your data in the event that you suffer this kind of attack, you should ask that. (Of course, all the answers are correct in suggesting full disk encryption.) – Shinrai – 2011-03-07T18:55:30.177
Edited the question to satisfy the pedant. – Django Reinhardt – 2011-03-07T19:08:35.823
@Shinrai, So if someone said: "My friend's computer was hacked by someone on the internet. They port-scanned his machine and found a vulnerability. How can he prevent this type of attack?" Your answer would be: "The only correct answer is for your friend not to connect his machine to the internet." – Django Reinhardt – 2011-03-07T19:13:33.490
2Keep in mind that how to protect your data (as the question currently reads) is a very different question from how to prevent the specific attack (as the question originally read). – Gabe – 2011-03-07T19:50:54.713
1@Johnny W - No, that's not the correct answer in that situation (the correct answer to "you have an application that has a specific vulnerability over an open port" is "close the port/change the application/filter it at the firewall level/etc"), but I see what you mean. See my comment below. – Shinrai – 2011-03-07T19:59:41.883
@Shinra, Actually it's precisely the same situation. I'm asking about a SPECIFIC type of attack. The only difference is that one is remote and one is local. The original question read: "Can anyone inform me how to prevent this type of attack?" You and Gabe can go ahead an upvote each others answers, but it doesn't make them any more useful or right. – Django Reinhardt – 2011-03-08T03:52:54.947