Concerned About My Online Security: Possible Hacking Incident

Have you ever experienced a situation that made you question the safety of your personal data? Recently, I found myself in a particularly unsettling scenario involving my neighbor, a computer screen, and some potentially poor security practices.

It all began when I started to suspect that my neighbor may have gained unauthorized access to my Wi-Fi network. You see, the security protocol I had in place was WEP, which, as many of us know, isn’t exactly the gold standard for network security. Alarmingly, I felt as though I could overhear him reading the content displayed on my computer screen. This realization was not only frightening but also infuriating.

In an attempt to take control of the situation, I tried to access my router settings but ran into a wall; the system kept indicating that it “took too long” to respond. Frustrated but determined, I turned to a few tools for assistance. I utilized HijackThis, Malwarebytes (specifically the anti-rootkit variant), and a wireless network watcher. However, despite my efforts, nothing out of the ordinary was identified.

Currently, I am using a Windows 7 laptop, and I’m reaching out to see if anyone in the community has suggestions for improving my security. Are there any specific tools or methods you would recommend to ensure my data remains confidential? Your insights would be immensely valuable as I navigate this troubling issue. Thank you in advance for your assistance!