Hackers
What
is a Hacker?
A hacker is an individual who is trying to gain access to your computer
without your permission. Once they have control of your system they
can view your personal information but more likely would like to use your
computer for launching attacks. Here are some examples of attacks that
happen on a regular basis:
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Trojan Horse Virus Attacks. There are many things that they can do with Trojan Horse Virus Attacks. From using your computer to break access codes to stealing passwords. They are listed in detail in the Virus section of this Website.
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They can use your computer to scan the web for other victims. This usually consists of TCP port probes. TCP port probes vary in type of attack and frequency. Network Ice has a database of intrusion which details information about specific port probes attacks.
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More recently, hackers have been using Kazaa, Morpheus, and other file sharing networks to spread trojan horse programs to remote control systems. If you are going to engage in file sharing activities make sure you have proper virus protection in place.
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Denial of Service attacks happen when a hacker "commandeers" enough computers using trojan horse viruses and then sets them up to "ping" or send extraneous data to a server of their choosing. This results in a network traffic jam that prevents legitimate access to the server hence denying someone of its services.
How do I keep from being Hacked?
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Get a personal firewall program. Zonealarm and Blackice Defender are examples of personal firewalls. There are many personal firewalls out there to choose from. I talk more about firewalls in detail in the Firewall section of this website.
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Get updates for your Operating System. If you are running Microsoft Windows 98 or above the Windows Update feature is built into Microsoft Internet Explorer. (For detailed instructions on how to use Windows Update click here). If you are running Linux be sure to get the latest kernel.
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Check your ports. There are literally hundreds of virtual TCP ports on your system that allow information to enter your machine from internet. If your system has not been configured properly some of these ports may be left open. The Gibson Research Corporation has a great utility to check the status of your ports. They are at www.grc.com.
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Get a router if you are using a high speed internet connection to prevent access through tcp ports.