How To Stop Computer Hackers
This modern era is very much the age of computers, with the development, sales, and use of computers dominating much of our culture. In many ways, it enhances our lives, allowing for more rapid communication, simplifying difficult tasks, and allowing a greater depth of research than ever before possible. However, with the development of the computer has come those who know to break into your private files using the same technology: hackers, ranging from the infamous hacking group named Anonymous and the trained computer specialists in the United States Intelligence agencies to that one kid on Facebook who claims to have taken a “hacking class.” Hacking is done through the discovery and exploitation of weaknesses in the computer system and/or networks to gain access to the files on the computer, allowing the hacker to steal personal information, passwords, and anything else you might have logged onto your computer. Protecting your computer from being hacked starts with knowing that it can happen and then making sure you are protected.
While this may seem extremely nerve-wracking, there are ways for the average citizen to protect themselves from such ill-intentioned access. The first and easiest way to prevent these ne’er-do-wells from searching through your computer is by utilizing a strong firewall, which places a digital wall between your information and those who shouldn’t be able to access it. The firewall works to block communication/information from sources that have not been approved by the user, even flagging the computer owner if they venture onto a website that could potentially be problematic. A good firewall can protect you from the creative ways that people use and misuse unprotected computers, protecting you from remote login to make it impossible for anyone to access your files or run any of your computer programs from anywhere other than your desk chair. We recommend an OpenDNS system which is a firewall that also prevents hackers from hijacking your e-mail, where they gain access to an e-mail address and then utilize that address to send unsolicited junk e-mail to thousands of users.
Anti-virus software is also extremely useful, running scans on the computer to check for different viruses used by hackers to discover passwords or hijack the computer for themselves and allowing the computer owner the ability to remove those viruses. Finally, be very careful when checking an email from an unknown source. While these may wind up being harmless, it’s also a notorious way for hackers to set up different downloads or links that can harm your computer and give them yet another entry point into your private information.