# Wireless and Viruses

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 12, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413 "2010-07-12T16:42:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413/1 "2010-07-12T16:42:53Z")

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Do I need to be worried about viruses/malware when I hook up my computer to my friends wireless network (via usb adapter)?

Do I have to disable my firewall to do so?

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413/2 "2010-07-12T16:47:39Z")

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Any time you connect you computer to the interwebs you are subject to viruses, trojans, worms and other nasties. The method of the connection (wired, wireless, two cans and a string) is irrelevant.

Do not disable your firewall. There is no need to do so.

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**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413/3 "2010-07-12T17:57:55Z")

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Can I catch viruses from their computer?

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413/4 "2010-07-12T19:20:37Z")

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> [@by-tor](#):
>
> Can I catch viruses from their computer?

Reread my previous post.

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**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-and-viruses/546413/5 "2010-07-12T21:15:06Z")

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> [@by-tor](#):
>
> Can I catch viruses from their computer?

Yes.

You can also transmit viruses from your computer to theirs, especially if they have fewer network security defenses against computers on the local network. Corporate intranets sometimes get viruses this way. Someone takes their laptop somewhere else and hooks up to another network, picks up a virus, and then transmits the virus to the intranet when they hook up the laptop again at work.