Computer crime is extremely prevalent today. There is more money in online crime than even the illegal drug trade according to the FBI! Most "hacker" or computer criminals are not bored teenagers anymore equivalent to vandals who spray paint their school walls but organized and motivated career criminals. You do not want them in your computer or with access to any of your accounts. Here are three simple tips to help keep them out.
1) Run antivirus software on your computer. On a Windows computer this is absolutely essential but not everyone does. If you do not, a hacker will "own" your computer, meaning have full access to it, in a matter of a few hours at most! On a Mac or Linux machine this is not as important but still highly recommended. This is because Mac and Linux are smaller targets for hackers than Windows so there are fewer nasty things on the Internet to attack them.
2) Do not open attachments unless they come from someone you know and you expect them. Email attachments often carry all kinds of nasty viruses and worms that attack your machine. Even if they come from someone you know, their machine may already have been attacked and compromised.
3) Use good passwords! Do not use a dictionary word or other common phrase like the name of your favorite sporting teams. Did you know that hackers have programs with large dictionaries of these words that try all of them in an attempt to gain access to your machine or account? They are very effective.
So, run antivirus, be very wary of email attachments, and choose good passwords, especially for critical accounts, and it's far less likely you will be hacked!
Source : goarticles by Harry Baldwin
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