What is Hacking?
During the 1990s, the term "hacker"
originally denoted a skilled programmer proficient in machine code and computer
operating systems. In particular, these individuals could always hack on an
unsatisfactory system to solve problems and engage in a little software company
espionage by interpreting a competitor's code.
Unfortunately, some of these hackers also
became experts at accessing password-protected computers, files, and networks
and came to known as "crackers." Of course, an effective and
dangerous "cracker" must be a good hacker and the terms became
intertwined. Hacker won out in popular use and in the media and today refers to
anyone who performs some form of computer sabotage.
Hacker Tools
There now are more than 100,000 known viruses
with more appearing virtually daily. The myriad of hackers and their nefarious
deeds can affect any computer owner whether an occasional home user, e-mailer,
student, blogger, or a network administrator on site or on the internet. No
matter your level of computer use, you must protect your computer, business, or
even your identity. The best way to know how to protect your computer is to
understand the hacker's tools and recognize their damage.
Viruses, Exploits, Worms, and More
The term computer "virus" originated
to describe machine code command inserted into a computer's memory that, on
execution, copies itself into other programs and files on the computer.
Depending on the hacker's intent, the design of a virus can merely be an
inconvenience or have very serious consequences up to a potential catastrophe.
Generally, a virus is a piece of software, a
series of data, or a command sequence that exploits a bug, glitch, or
vulnerability. Each example is appropriately termed an "exploit." An
exploit causes unintended or unanticipated behavior to occur in a computer's
operating system or applications while propagating itself within the computer.
An exploit and operates through a network
security vulnerability or "hole" without previous access to the
vulnerable system is a "remote" exploit. An exploit that needs prior
access to a system is termed a "local" exploit. These are usually
intended to increase the hacker's access privileges beyond those granted by a
system administrator.
Worms are simply viruses that send copies over
network connections. A bomb resides silently in a computer's memory until set
off by a date or action. A Trojan horse is a malicious program that cannot
reproduce itself, but is distributed by CD or e-mail.
Protect Your Computer: Avoid Computer
Holes/Vulnerabilities
Install only trusted software and delete
unknown emails. If you have any doubt about a piece of software's function, do
not install it. If you receive e-mails from random people's names, resist your
curiosity and do not open it, just delete it.
Under no conditions download or open
attachments from anyone that you do not know and even then be cautious. Banks
and most companies that create online personal accounts will not send you
attachments. If they do, it is probably best to go to the company site and
request the download or at least see if it is legitimate. Avoid adult web
sites, a hacker's paradise.
Whether in your e-mail or online, do not click
on ads. If the ad is of interest, find the site. Be careful with what you
physically put into your computer. This is especially true for shared R/W CDs,
USB hard disks, or flash drives. This is an easy path for a virus to follow
from computer to computer.
Protection: Install Anti-Virus Software
Anti-virus software searches for evidence of
the presence of viral programs, worm, bombs, and Trojan horses by checking for
the characteristic appearances or behaviors that is typical of these programs.
When found the program logs its discovery, its type, often its name or an
identifier, and it potential for damage. The anti-virus software then
eliminates or isolates/quarantines the infected files. For the individual,
commercial software is relatively inexpensive; however, there are free
anti-virus programs available.
Since new viruses appear almost daily with new
code it is imperative that you update you antivirus program often to keep up
with these threats; therefore, make sure to set your program to update
automatically. To avoid the annoyance of computer slowdown schedule full scale
scans late at night.
The same is true for your Windows Operating
System. Very often, your OS is where hackers discover the holes to exploit. Of
course, in an ever-continuing battle, this software is continuously updated
with security patches.
Finally, secure your wireless network with a
router that has a built in firewall. Almost all wireless routers are set to no
security when first installed. Log into the router and at least set it to basic
security with a strong password to replace the factory setting that any hacker
knows. A firewall or router that is not configured properly or non-existent
allows hackers to scan passwords, e-mails, or files that cross your network
connection.
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