What Harm Can A Scoundrel Do With My Financial Data?

If one could access the passwords, account numbers they could access your accounts, transfer money etc. Having said that there are encryption schemes that would require a unique "password" kept in your head that would help

The more detail they have about your finances, the more they can pretend they are you. For example, one institution requires a validation process for wire transfers. Part of that process is to identify a couple of recent transactions. Would the scoundrel get access to that type of info?

Frankly the chance a hacker would spend the time hacking into an individual's computer to get information is remote, unless you are really rich and/or famous. To protect yourself against any inadvertent breach of confidentiality you just need to do some simple steps. A password protected file, turning off your network when you are not using it, something like those.

I would surmise that chances of a bank making an error on your monthly statement and taking off a couple of thousand by mistake are greater than the chances of being targeted by a hacker. And then when it comes to telephone bills and credit card statements.....your risk goes up by leaps and bounds.

Little bit OT, but just turning your network off when you are not there may not be sufficient. Hackers can access your computer data base as you are typing an e-mail to Aunt Susie. Get yourself a decent firewall and anti-malware and keep them on full time. You do lock both your front and back doors right?

Chip

What operating system do you want to use for the fileserver?

Can you keep that data encrypted (as I do, for example)?

In any case, nowadays the hackers are after stealing thousands of data records, as opposed to breaking into some people's fileservers looking for a few card numbers. So the chances of that data being stolen by strangers (as opposed to acquaintainces) are small. A more likely event would be, say, your kids buddies stealing this, or your neighbors.

Do you have wifi and is it a secure wifi network? This adds another dimension to the security issue.