Stop Computer Interlopers
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Don’t Get Hacked Off-How to Stop Computer Interlopers in
their Tracks
You’ve heard the term hacker, you know they can cause damage
and create havoc, but do you know what a hacker is? A hacker is
a programmer able to get into a system or gain unauthorized
access by skillful strategy. Hackers can be useful for
maintaining a system and is constantly searching for security
deficiencies. They can be the guardians of the security system.
They also can turn that around and do more harm then good. A
hacker is a skilled programmer who can write software expertly
and swiftly. They can crack nearly any code and get into any
computer system. Some of the more famous computer systems that
have been hacked are corporations such as McDonalds, and to
federal websites that have extremely sensitive information.
Highly skilled hackers have hacked into Griffith Air Force
Base, NASA, the US Department of Justice, and the US Air Force.
Hackers have their own underground network where they exchange
triumphs and share techniques to hack into new programs or
skirt any protective software.
How can you protect yourself and your computer against
hackers? Your computer may not be NASA quality or have
sensitive and confidential information like the Department of
Justice, but it can cause you some problems. A good hacker can
get into your computer, steal passwords, pin numbers or codes
to your financial sites.
How do you stop this attack on your system? One of the most
important guards you can have in place is a fire wall. A fire
wall will help keep hackers from getting into your system and
sending out your personal information. Antivirus software will
scan incoming files and e-mails but a fire wall stands guard
outside the system to block any communications or information
exchanges from sources that don’t have your permission. If you
use a high-speed Internet connection, you may have the same
security concerns that any big organization or corporation has.
It filters the information coming through the Internet
connection. It can flag a packet of information that could
potentially be harmful to your computer system.
Some systems come with a fire wall already installed; it just
needs to be turned on once your get your computer set up. You
can get separate software that will run in the background while
you work, or you can get an external hardware fire wall that
includes fire wall software. There are several fire wall
software programs on the Internet that can be downloaded free.
Be sure the sites you are using are trustworthy and have a good
reputation.
How do fire walls work? A fire wall filters incoming data and
lets only the ones considered safe to come through. Information
is checked and is matched to specific defining characteristics.
If these characteristics are not matched, the fire wall will
not allow the information to go into your system.
Hackers also use Web browsers such as Netscape and Internet
Explorer to get into your computer system. You can make your
system more secure by increasing your online security. You can
find the security feature by going to “Tools” or “Options” on
your task bar.
A good fire wall can protect you from the creative ways that
people use and misuse unprotected computers. It protects from
remote login so a person can’t view or access your files or run
any of your computer programs. It keeps hackers from hijacking
your e-mail. Once a hacker gains access to an e-mail address,
it can then use that address to send unsolicited junk e-mail to
thousands of users.
E-mail bombs can be used as a personal attack on your personal
computer. Someone sends you the same e-mail thousands of times
until your e-mail system can’t accept any more messages. For
someone who works from home this could be a catastrophe.
Spam is junk mail, usually harmless but it also often contains
links to Web sites that may install a “cookie” on your system
that creates a backdoor for a hacker to enter through.
Your newer system might also have free software that closes
holes in the system that hackers can use. These patches can be
found on the website for your system’s manufacturer and can
even be set to be installed automatically whenever a new patch
is issued for a newly found problem.ou’ve heard the term
hacker, you know they can cause damage and create havoc, but do
you know what a hacker is? A hacker is a programmer able to get
into a system or gain unauthorized access by skillful strategy.
Hackers can be useful for maintaining a system and is
constantly searching for security deficiencies. They can be the
guardians of the security system. They also can turn that
around and do more harm then good. A hacker is a skilled
programmer who can write software expertly and swiftly. They
can crack nearly any code and get into any computer system.
Some of the more famous computer systems that have been hacked
are corporations such as McDonalds, and to federal websites
that have extremely sensitive information. Highly skilled
hackers have hacked into Griffith Air Force Base, NASA, the US
Department of Justice, and the US Air Force. Hackers have their
own underground network where they exchange triumphs and share
techniques to hack into new programs or skirt any protective
software.
How can you protect yourself and your computer against
hackers? Your computer may not be NASA quality or have
sensitive and confidential information like the Department of
Justice, but it can cause you some problems. A good hacker can
get into your computer, steal passwords, pin numbers or codes
to your financial sites.
How do you stop this attack on your system? One of the most
important guards you can have in place is a fire wall. A fire
wall will help keep hackers from getting into your system and
sending out your personal information. Antivirus software will
scan incoming files and e-mails but a fire wall stands guard
outside the system to block any communications or information
exchanges from sources that don’t have your permission. If you
use a high-speed Internet connection, you may have the same
security concerns that any big organization or corporation has.
It filters the information coming through the Internet
connection. It can flag a packet of information that could
potentially be harmful to your computer system.
Some systems come with a fire wall already installed; it just
needs to be turned on once your get your computer set up. You
can get separate software that will run in the background while
you work, or you can get an external hardware fire wall that
includes fire wall software. There are several fire wall
software programs on the Internet that can be downloaded free.
Be sure the sites you are using are trustworthy and have a good
reputation.
How do fire walls work? A fire wall filters incoming data and
lets only the ones considered safe to come through. Information
is checked and is matched to specific defining characteristics.
If these characteristics are not matched, the fire wall will
not allow the information to go into your system.
Hackers also use Web browsers such as Netscape and Internet
Explorer to get into your computer system. You can make your
system more secure by increasing your online security. You can
find the security feature by going to “Tools” or “Options” on
your task bar.
A good fire wall can protect you from the creative ways that
people use and misuse unprotected computers. It protects from
remote login so a person can’t view or access your files or run
any of your computer programs. It keeps hackers from hijacking
your e-mail. Once a hacker gains access to an e-mail address,
it can then use that address to send unsolicited junk e-mail to
thousands of users.
E-mail bombs can be used as a personal attack on your personal
computer. Someone sends you the same e-mail thousands of times
until your e-mail system can’t accept any more messages. For
someone who works from home this could be a catastrophe.
Spam is junk mail, usually harmless but it also often contains
links to Web sites that may install a “cookie” on your system
that creates a backdoor for a hacker to enter through.
Your newer system might also have free software that closes
holes in the system that hackers can use. These patches can be
found on the website for your system’s manufacturer and can
even be set to be installed automatically whenever a new patch
is issued for a newly found problem.
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