| Your home PC is a popular target for hackers. Why? | | | | you drive a car, you need to also be responsible for |
| Because intruders want what you've stored there. | | | | your home computer's security. The goal is to keep |
| They look for credit card numbers, bank account | | | | intruders and their programs off your computer. |
| information, and anything else they can find. By stealing | | | | How do intruders break into your computer? In some |
| that information, intruders can use your money to buy | | | | cases, they send you email with a virus. Reading that |
| themselves anything they want. | | | | email activates the virus, creating an opening that |
| But it's not just money-related information they're after. | | | | intruders use to enter or access your computer. In |
| Intruders also want your computer's resources, | | | | other cases, they take advantage of a flaw or |
| meaning your hard disk space, your fast processor, | | | | weakness in one of your computer's programs - a |
| and your Internet connection. They use these | | | | vulnerability - to gain access. |
| resources to attack other computers on the Internet. In | | | | Once they're on your computer, they often install new |
| fact, the more computers an intruder uses, the harder | | | | programs that let them continue to use your computer |
| it is for law enforcement to figure out where the | | | | - even after you plug the holes they used to get onto |
| attack is really coming from. If intruders can't be found, | | | | your computer in the first place. These backdoors are |
| they can't be stopped, and they can't be prosecuted. | | | | usually cleverly disguised so that they blend in with the |
| Why are intruders paying attention to home | | | | other programs running on your computer. |
| computers? Home computers are typically not very | | | | There are multiple ways hackers use to get into your |
| secure and are easy to break into. When combined | | | | system, but how do you prevent them from doing it? |
| with high-speed Internet connections that are always | | | | Computer companies like Elite IT can help. We can |
| turned on, intruders can quickly find and then attack | | | | perform a complete diagnostics & provide |
| home computers. While intruders also attack home | | | | checklists you can use to record information about the |
| computers connected to the Internet through dial-in | | | | steps you can take to secure your computer. Elite IT |
| connections, high-speed connections (cable modems | | | | services both Business & Residential PCs. |
| and DSL modems) are a favorite target. | | | | Whether your computer runs Microsoft Windows, |
| No matter how a home computer is connected to the | | | | Apple's Mac OS, LINUX, or something else, the issues |
| Internet, intruders' attacks are often successful. Many | | | | are the same and will remain so as new versions of |
| home computer owners don't realize that they need to | | | | your system are released. The key is to understand |
| pay attention to computer security. In the same way | | | | the security-related problems that you need to think |
| that you are responsible for having insurance when | | | | about and solve. |