For this week’s observe I am analyzing a message that popped up on my computer last week. One day I opened my computer and a message immediately popped up when connecting to the internet, that said “Another device on the network is using your computer’s IP address”, with further instructions about what to do next. I didn’t think much of it and honestly just ignored it like the lazy person I am, but a couple days later it popped up again.
This worried me because this message (from what i understand) means that there is another device that has access to my computers “signature”; I’m not exactly sure how severe that is or what could come from that but I know the results are not exactly good. While it could be another one of my own devices, it very well could be someone else’s. Following the second message I followed the instructions and am waiting for the next message to pop-up. Receiving this message, while it was not directly harmful, made me rethink what information I am putting out into the internet, and where exactly I am giving out the information. I’m sure I have given out unnecessary information on the web many times before, but this made me stop and wonder when was the last time I did that and did I even stop and think before hand? It also made me think about the fact that if i’m giving out information easily and not realizing it, who else is? My parents who aren’t too technologically experienced have probably fallen victim to this many times, too.
