 Do LANs have disadvantages? One d

 Do LANs have disadvantages? One disadvantage of LANs is that when a network malfunctions, all the resources you’re accustomed to accessing are unavailable until the network is repaired.Another disadvantage of LANs is their vulnerability to unauthorizedaccess. Whereas a standalone computer is vulnerable to on-premises theft or
access, network computers are vulnerable to unauthorized access from many sources and locations. Through unauthorized use of a LAN workstation, intruders can access data
stored on the network server or other workstations. LANs connected to the Internet are vulnerable to intrusions from remote computers in distant states, provinces, or countries. Unsecured wireless connections can be tapped from any computers within range of the wireless signal. LANs are also more vulnerable than standalone computers to malicious code. Whereas the most prevalent threat to standalone computers is disk-
borne viruses, networks are susceptible to an ever-increasing number of worms, Trojan horses, and blended threats. If a worm gets through LAN security, every computer on the network is at risk.Most computer owners are enthusiastic about the benefits provided by
LANs and believe that those benefits outweigh the risks of intrusions and viruses—especially if their computers can be protected by security tools, such as antivirus software and firewalls. You’ll learn more about LAN secu-rity threats and countermeasures later in this chapter.