Hacking - Crime Or No Crime?

Every responsible Internet user knows that hacking is a serious crime. However, we all know as well that justice may not be on hand for its victims. A lot of private and public companies, including governments, have lost revenues due to information theft leading to loss of income and damage brought about by hackers. The sad thing is, laws don't seem to be tough enough on cyber offenders. In some cases, they're not even considered offenders at all due to the lack of legislation that defines and covers Internet crimes. This simply leaves us wondering what happens to a hacker when he's caught.

There are, of course, celebrated cases where hackers have actually been brought to justice. However, it's not very reassuring to take into account how the film industry has even somehow created this perception of hackers as being cool and even sexy. It seems as though Hollywood has forgotten to portray these black hats as they really are. It actually looks as though people have developed a distorted perception of this act and don't realize that it can be seriously damaging. Still, we are left only to wonder why this is so.

The very important question now is, what happens to hacker if and when they're caught? Do they even pay for what they've done? Do they serve a jail sentence? Are they made to pay damages to the victim? It's crazy to think that some people in government actually think the problem could be solved by confiscating the hacker's equipment and banning him from buying any new gadgets. It actually is downright ridiculous to think that the problem could be prevented by confiscation. After all, any black hat can hire anyone to buy him a new computer, modem or storage device and then he'll be right back on his trade as if nothing happened.

Definitely, hacking is a far more serious offense than most justice officials are ready to accept. And this leniency is, in fact, making the situation worse. Because these people know they can easily get away even if they were caught, they will simply continue robbing people and companies of their identities and causing their victims massive detriment while they take off in their private jets and burn some cold cash in an offshore casino.

If things go on like this, then Internet users will have to ensure their online security on their own by employing every measure there is to keep hackers at bay. Because these cyber offenders can begin by installing keyloggers into your computer, it would always be wise to have basic computer safety software installed. The firewall is another key component in securing your system along with an anti-virus software and every other type of anti-malware there is.

For general precaution, you can make use of an IP hiding software which works by disguising your IP address so even if you actually met a hacker while surfing, he wouldn't know how to get back to you because you've stashed your IP in some place he couldn't reach. Of course, this offers a reliable cloak of protection and you'll be gone from every hacker's life from then on.

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Computer Security is in Your Hands

Computers began making their way into North American homes in the late 1970s to early 1980s. I still remember the first computer I ever saw. It was a Commodore 64.

I can recall the day in 1982, I believe it was, when my friend Bob walked through the door with his brand new Commodore 64 tucked under his arm. He was proud as a peacock. His wife wasn't. We played with that gizmo for hours and still hadn't scratched the surface of what it could do.

Those were the days when computers were toys. Very few homes had them and no one had to worry about hackers, viruses, malware, cookies and the like as we do today. Heck, we hadn't even heard of such terms.

In such a short time, computers have evolved from mere toys and sources of entertainment into everyday necessities for most people. In less than 25 years, computers have become such an integral part of today's business world and private life that we would be hard pressed to survive without them.

Of course, anything so vital will always be the target of unscrupulous cyber vandals. Online crimes have become a major concern for law enforcement and the general public needs to give high priority to keeping criminals at bay. Hence the need for various types of computer security that helps keep our computers safe from harm.

Every computer owner must adapt some program of cyber security or they won't be online very long at all. And the threat is not limited to viruses and trojans that infect your system. Online criminals also want access to your computer. They want any piece of information that can help them steal your identity. They look for anything that can provide valuable financial information.

You as a computer owner do not have to sit by and see these kinds of criminal activities spoil your computing experiences. There are many things you can do yourself that will add security to your computer. Let's summarize just a few of them...

1) Install Good Anti-virus Software.

This is a must today. You should never access the internet or your email without active, up-to-date anti-virus program. Keep in mind, however, that new viruses are surfacing daily and it is a huge task for anti-virus programs to keep up with it all. It is vital that you keep your anti-virus software updated regularly in order for it to recognize any new man-made virus that may have been introduced.

Anti-virus programs are relatively inexpensive when you consider the alternative cost of having to clean up an unnecessary mess or replace a hard drive. There are even free anti-virus programs you can download. Some are just as good as some paid computer security products.

2) Have Proper Firewalls Installed.

To understand firewalls, think of your home, especially if it is fairly new or newly renovated. Building codes today call for installation of special drywall called a firewall. These firewalls are installed in case of fire and this type of wall board keeps the fire from spreading from one room to another, at least until help arrives.

Firewalls in your computer are much the same. They are defensive fortifications built into your system to help halt the spread of any virus or trojan that may have been introduced into your system. These firewalls filter unauthorized data from elsewhere, mostly the internet, while allowing authorized or 'good' data to enter your computer.

3) Be Careful With Emails

Many viruses enter your computer via your email. Make sure you establish some hard, fast rules about incoming email. For instance, be extra careful about opening emails from anyone you do not know, and never under any circumstances open any attachments to those emails. Often an email gives the recipient a message of urgency for opening the attachment. Be wary.

4) Be Creative With Passwords

The passwords you choose, whether for your email, membership sites, web host Cpanel, etc., need to be more than simple. Never use any personal information like telephone number, street address, banking PIN, etc. The reasons are quite obvious.

Hackers are quite good at breaking passwords so you need to be creative and adhere to a few rules when creating them. Think of them as keys that unlock a cabinet. Almost any key can be duplicated and used for criminal purposes. This is what hackers do. But there are steps you can take to minimize that threat.

a) Never share your password with anyone.
b) Make all your passwords at least 8 characters in length.
c) Make your passwords meaningless. The crazier, the better.
d) Use a variety of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, symbols, special characters, etc. in each password.
e) Keep a list of every site on which you have a password and record the password for that site.
f) Change your password regularly. It is ideal if you make the password changes all at the same time. For example: Change passwords every 3 months, on the 1st day of the third month. Change every password at that time. This way, none are missed. Keep a record of every date you changed your passwords. This keeps you from going too long without a change.

5) Backup Your Computer Data Regularly

This is one cardinal rule all experienced computer users adhere to. All backups must be done to a CD or DVD, or some other external device. The idea here is that if something happens to your system or you lose your hard drive, you still have all your data elsewhere that can be reloaded into your computer.

6) Never allow file sharing from your computer.
This is one of the most dangerous practices you can allow. Keep all other parties out of your computer.

7) Disconnect From The Internet

By disconnecting from the internet when your computer is not in use, you make it impossible for others to gain access to your system.

8) Keep Abreast Of Security Updates

This is easy to do these days. You can do this by going to the site hosted by your security provider. They have tons of computer security news regarding current security issues. Many even have computer security courses you can take. This way you are well informed of the newest tactics of online criminals and are provided with ways and means of lessening the threat to your system.

Computer security is really up to you. Many take this issue far too lightly until the day all "H...." breaks loose. Then you are rushing around in confusion looking for someone to fix it all. The fact is, most often no one needs to be in that kind of situation. With a good security system in placed and some personal diligence, you can avoid 99.9 per cent of these kinds of problems.

For more information on computer security, visit the following site http://www.affiliatepowerpunch.com. Click "Secure Your Computer" for access.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Kindred

The Hacker Next Door - Five Types of Cyber Bad Guys and How to Avoid Their Bags of Tricks

The biggest threat to your computer is not viruses. It is the 5 types of people who create these online threats. Keep reading to find out about these dastardly devils and how they trick you into playing their game.

Types of hackers

There are a lot of bad guys online. They each do it for separate reasons, but they all share one thing in common: they find the computer is the easiest way to reach their goals.

The Teenager Down the Street

If you all of a sudden notice, your computer is acting slower than usual, but no crazy things have shown up on your credit card statement, this is probably the work of the Teenager. This hacker has nothing better to do than figure out the vulnerabilities of the TCP/IP stack and use you as a test case. This bad guy isn't interested in stealing anything and might just erase your hard drive just for kicks.

This can easily be remedied, since the teenager usually doesn't cover his tracks very well and law enforcement can find him fairly easily.

The New Age Con Man

Step right up to the second kind of online threat: the New Age Con Man. In the Wild West, miracle medicine salesmen would ride into town, spit a good game, and leave as quickly as possible with your money. Today these con men live on with phishing emails. Looking legitimate, and sounding o so good, these virtual Ponzis use email as their modus operandi. Whether they are a Nigerian prince who has to get you your reward or a male medicine enhancer spokesperson, they sound o so good. These con men are too good to be true and should be relegated to your spam folder. These guys only work if you give them your attention.

Download Me Toolbar Man

Like a circus performer, this hacker has boundless energy. All they want you to do is download this simple toolbar for free. Suddenly, your PC has annoying popups everywhere and you are wondering what happened. Good luck trying to get rid of this guy, he is like an unwanted house guest at Christmas. To avoid this guy, only download toolbars from companies you trust.

Rogue Security Man

Like a good confidence man, these guys come out of nowhere to tell you that your computer has a virus. They want you to download their no-name tool to fix your PC. Suddenly, you have more problems than ever and can't figure out what these guys did. Stay clear of these guys by only download antivirus software from major brands (CA, TrendMicro, Panda, etc.)

CyberMafia

This is the most dangerous group of online criminals. Like a mafia racket, these guys know exactly what they are doing and can fool you pretty quickly. Their goal is to take your money day in and day out and hope you let them stay. To stay clear of these guys, you need antivirus software installed.

Now that you know the five types, you can stay away from them. Look out for more articles about the greatest threats to your PC and how to prevent them.

Until next time

If you don't want to have to deal with viruses, buy antivirus antispam software

J. Andy Greene is an technophile who has been working on computers for eight years. From his experience, he has found there are common mistakes that people make that keep their computers from being secure. Follow his simple advice and you can keep out 99% of threats online. For the other 1%, he recommends common sense and sleeping with one eye open.

For the easy ways to speed up PC and other great reviews of antivirus software.

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Cybercrime - Don't Fall For These Internet Thieves

For the last several days I've been investigating reports on where a lot of our virus and "phishing" problems are coming from. Would you believe, Brazil? Most of Brazil is poor, with an average wage of less than $500 per month. Even so, many Brazilian cities provide free, wireless high-speed connections for those who have access to a computer.

This is a double edge sword. It's great for entrepreneurs interested in starting new Internet businesses, and it allows programmers the opportunity to market there creations, but it also opens the door to individuals who make a living pirating software and music. Even worse, it allows unscrupulous hackers to setup shop stealing passwords and credit card numbers world wide by running elaborate phishing schemes from private apartments able to receive these signals. One reference said that as much as 80 percent of the world's hackers operate from Brazil!

Basically, because Brazil is a third world country, there are few laws governing Internet usage and even fewer people to enforce them. Some of Brazil's laws don't make much sense to us in the United States. Here's what I mean. In Brazil, it's not illegal to break into someone's website, even if it's a business. It only becomes a crime when someone actually steals money while committing the break-in. Even if credit card numbers are stolen, no crime has been committed until they are fraudulently used.

I mentioned phishing earlier. Many of you may not realize what phishing is...but if you've been on the Internet at all, you've probably already been targeted. Phishing, is a practice cyber thieves use in order to get you to give them your bank account, credit card, or social security numbers. It's pronounced "fishing" and that's exactly what they do. The send out bait in the form of an email that looks exactly like it came from your bank, eBay, or Microsoft. They use the correct logos, wording, even the return address (of course, it's not the real return address) looks authentic. When you fill in the information they've requested, it goes directly to the cyber thief who then steals your money.

Because these people work out of places like Brazil, or other countries (India and Russia are also at the top of the list.) where there's little that can be done about it...thousands of US citizens have lost millions of dollars and continue to do so. Setting up a phishing operation isn't hard. There's a "hacker" magazine in Brazil that prints this kind of information on a monthly basis. Over 20,000 copies a month are sold at newsstands. You can also find them on the web. I don't want to give them any free advertising so I won't print a link to their website, but I did download one of their publications entitled "Phishing for Fun and Profit." Scary!

The governments might be trying to get a handle on things, but with all of the other problems happening in the world today, I'm afraid that cybercrime is just not something that's very high on their 'to-do' list. It's going to be up to you to protect yourself. Keep your virus and spyware definitions current and running at all times. Don't click on suspicious Pop-ups. And most important of all, NEVER give out any financial information to anyone asking for it in an email!

Randy Benjamin is an author and syndicated columnist. His latest books, "FREE Internet" and "How To Publish Anything On Amazon's Kindle" are available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle e-book formats. For more information, visit his website: http://www.randybenjamin.com.

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