In the movie War Games starring Matthew Broderick the main character, played by Broderick, is a teen-ager who finds a way to break into the war game simulation computers at the Pentagon and causes a potential nuclear war. Obviously Broderick’s character did not use the main login system to get into the government’s computers. A login through the “front door” would have gotten him arrested faster than he could say global thermal nuclear war. Broderick’s character got in through what is called a “backdoor”. In the movie the backdoor was something purposely left behind by the person that created the war simulation computer. But in your world, the standard computer user, a backdoor is something that you probably did not even know was there. A backdoor is a way around the standard protection for a computer or network. In some cases it is a way around using the front door login procedure. In other cases a backdoor is ways around the firewall encryption or other protections that may be present on your computer. It is not always easy for a hacker to find the backdoor way in to a computer. When you surf the internet you are using what is called an open port. Sometimes on that open port there may be a way in to your computer that is unprotected. Hackers will send out a signal over a given network to check and see if you have any open backdoors or ports. If you do have an open port they try and get in to your computer. It isn’t as easy as it sounds but a careless computer user can make it easy on a hacker.
Always have your firewalls up and always have a reliable anti-virus software running whenever you open a port to surf the internet. Always follow the instructions in the user manual of your firewall and anti-virus software to help maximize your protection. If you follow these rules you greatly reduce your chances of getting invaded by a hacker. So what is a hacker trying to do when they get into your computer? One of the things they are trying to do is deposit a backdoor IRC in your computer. That isn’t good. It all stems from a piece of software designed to help people communicate on the internet called mIRC.
MIRC is a chat client used for Windows based computers. They use it to communicate with each other. But mIRC is also a haven for malicious users trying to corrupt other people’s computers. A backdoor IRC is a virus used by hackers, through a mIRC chat client, to take temporary control of another computer. In other words, hackers try to install backdoor IRCs on people’s computers so they can steal that person’s data and leave all sorts of other tracking type software. Tracking software is used to keep a log of where you go on the internet, what types of things you buy on the internet, and even the credit card information you use. It is all an ugly business and it is something you want to avoid.
The best way to protect yourself on the internet is to always have your firewalls and anti-virus software running properly while you are surfing the internet. Avoid downloading software, and clicking on links, that seem less than reputable to you. The more you stay aware while surfing the internet the safer your computer, and your information, will be.