Can your personal computer be hacked while you use the internet?

Any personal computer connected to the Internet is a potential target.

Hackers randomly barrage Internet connected PCs with "pings" or "port scans", probing to find unprotected PCs. Once found, a hacker can compromise your PC with a dangerous Internet threat - Trojan horse, spyware or malicious worm

Most vulnerable users:

• Internet connection left running for hours at a time
• The computer connected to the internet, is also connected to the office/home computer network.
  - Businesses should always seperate internet access from their computer network.
• Computer network settings has ticked "I want to be able to give others access to my files"
  - file sharing can be a lot like leaving your house unlocked.
• You have a permanent internet connection, with a fixed IP address
  (This is not the case with standard "Unlimited" accounts)

Those who don't have to worry:

• Internet connection is used for short periods of time, usually to check email
• Your computer is "standalone" and does not have a network card installed.
  
• The Computer's "Network neighborhood" settings does not have file sharing enabled.

Install a personal firewall:

Zone Alarm is Free and it is able to protect your computer from outside probes download it here ( 2.8Mb) Zone Alarm also has a feature called MailSafe that quarantines dangerous email attachments. We at Command Computers tested this product and were surprised to find that we were being probed at least three times every day

Want to check if you can be hacked ?
This site will actually probe your computer for you and report to you how vulnerable you are ! Choose the "Probe My Ports" button, half-way down the page.

More reading:

• Can you be hacked ? - an article by Computer Services at Michigan State University
• Home PC firewall guide
• Email viruses- be paranoid ! - what you need to know about reading emails

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