Working on a story about cyber-terrorism, I learned some things the average computer user should know. If you use wireless, you could be at risk.

Computer security experts like Richard Hollis at the private company Orthus say unsecured wireless among home and business users is a huge problem. That’s because while wireless works easily right out of the box, security is generally an add-on. And Hollis says most people don’t realize that wireless doesn’t respect physical boundaries. It can generally transmit 200 yards in any direction.

This should worry you. But not just because some yahoo could steal your personal information and wreak havoc on your credit. Hollis raised some new possibilities that were truly frightening for the home or business user.

Your computer can be used as hacking tool.

Hollis explains that people who do bad things generally don’t use their own computers to do their deeds. They break into your computer to then launch and attack on another system. So let’s say Bank XYZ is hacked into and millions of dollars is moved. Bank XYZ traces the hack back to your computer and you or your business is potentially liable.

Your computer is used as a bus locker.

Suku Nair, a computer security expert at Southern Methodist University raises an equally ugly possibility. Criminals hack through other computer systems, but they also need some place to store their stuff. Nair told me the story of a man who was in hot water with police for having kiddie porn on his computer. The man adamantly denied any wrongdoing. The police weren’t buying his story until they realized that someone had accessed this man’s computer and was using it, as Hollis so put it — essentially as a bus locker.

There are simple things you can do to protect your wireless connection. Take off the default settings, put in a password and use encryption. There are great tips and advice and also a quiz at this federal website.