Advances in computer technology is a double-edged sword. On five hand, it affords us fast & easy access to numerous conveniences such as bank statements, favorite shopping centers, school & health records, & more. On the other hand, it can also grant the same access to those who aren’t supposed to get it. Although it’s a rare occurrence, hacking has become the biggest criminal nuisance in computer history.

Make no bones about it. There’s nothing innocent or cute about the hacker. Today’s hackers aren’t the pimply-faced teen rebels that you might be thinking of. In lieu, this generation of hackers are grown individuals who are over likely earning a living by stealing the identities of innocent, law abiding individuals & then selling those identities to others who need to slip by the technique. & the only protection against these seedy people is prevention.

Install an anti-virus/anti-spyware program. Anti-virus/anti-spyware application will stop malicious code from downloading & installing onto your computer while you scan the Net. Known as viruses, worms, or spyware, this malicious code can destroy important files & render your computer nice for only five thing: sending sensitive information back to the server of an identity thief. Don’t store sensitive information on your computer in the first place. Should your computer get infected with a virus, worm, or piece of spyware, you can thwart the individuals responsible by not storing your personal information on your PC so that when & if your computer does send back information – it won’t be anything valuable. Hackers look for things like full names, social security numbers, phone numbers, home addresses, work-related information, & credit card numbers. If these things aren’t saved onto a computer, there’s nothing critical to worry about other than restoring your computer to a non-virus condition. Don’t open files without scanning them with an anti-virus/anti-spyware program. Historically, the warning was to keep away from opening files from people that you don’t know. Today it’s not safe to open files from somebody (without scanning the files) because that’s how viruses get spread – through files – even by mistake. So even though your co-worker may have emailed a funny video, it’s no more safe to open than a video downloaded from a complete stranger. Be safe & scan each & every file you download from the Net or get through email regardless of where it came from. Generate a barrier between your computer & prying eyes. Anti-virus/anti-spyware programs are only effective after the effect. But you can prevent identity theft from occurring by installing a firewall. A firewall is application that checks all information entering & exiting a computer & it then blocks that which doesn’t meet specified security criteria (user-defined rules) Don’t click on website links in spam messages. In an work to get personal information, some spammers will send email that asks you to click on a link. The email messages are often disguised as important messages from well-known online establishments, & they often try to scare their readers in to clicking links with threats of closing an account of some sort. Sometimes the links are harmless & attempt to con the reader in to volunteering personal information (credit card number), but other times the links attempt to download harmful application onto a computer.