Can my flatemates sharing the same internet network sneak into my Mac

I share wireless network connection with other people. The wireless connection is set up by a BT HomeHub.
One of my flatemates is very nosy and his brother is an IT consultant. Something strange happened in the past while I was still using Windows XP - it made me suspect that they had sneaked into my files via the share internet connection (I didn't have any 'share files' in my PC. Also, I had Norton antivirus and firewall but I suspect it could only block out the intruders OUTSIDE the wifi network. ).
Now I use my iMac most of the time and use the same wifi network. Although Mac is in general more secure, I cannot stop wondering if people within the same network can still look at my desktop activities or look into my files if they tried hard enough ....
This has been in my mind for a while. Your knowledge can help to clear my worries. Thanks a lot!

wawalulu wrote:
Well ... there is no lock on my door ... but it's hard to imagine anyone being so low ...
Imagine it. Physical access = no security or privacy. You should create an encrypted disk image to store particularly sensitive documents and assume the other documents are public, more or less.
Also, you should probably turn on wireless encryption and use secure sites (https and sftp) whenever possible. Otherwise, anything you send over the Internet is plain text and easily viewable. Don't reuse passwords. Change your password regularly (don't worry too much if you forget it, after all, physical access = no security).
One more dumb question ;P ... Is there a firewall in my Mac OS? Where can I find it and check if it's on?
Many people (i.e. almost all) completely misunderstand the concept of a firewall. The purpose of a firewall isn't to keep people out, it is to allow them in. If you want security, don't run any of the Sharing services. Then, there is nothing to share and no way to remotely break in. The purpose of a firewall is to allow you to run lots of "private" sharing services and allow "public" access to selected ones. Unfortunately, the default settings allow access to all services being shared. What, then, is the point? Turn all sharing off. If you really need a shared service, do just a little bit of research on how to securely provide access to that service.

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