Defend Your Computer From Hackers Essay Research

Defend Your Computer From Hackers Essay, Research Paper

How to Shield Your Computer from Internet Crime

When you connect to the Internet, you are allowing you computer to communicate with millions of people who are also on the Internet. Suddenly, your hard drive is fair game. Some people called by various names: hackers, whackers, crackers, and some other more colorful names if your data is being destroyed. These people make it their business to find and make use of exposed hard drives. Sometimes, they just take an innocent look around; sometimes they delete files or even deposit a virus of nature. However, hope is not lost, with the steps outline in this paper you will be able effectively shield your computer from those who wish to make mischief.

When you connect to the Internet, especially through a broadband connection any open ports, or shared file files and services are like a beacon for hackers’ automatic scanners. You see, along with granting you extremely fast downloads and browsing capabilities broadband connection also leave you computer wide open to the world since it an always-on connection. The risk is greater for those people that have static IP address. Since this address never changes hackers can come back whenever they wish.

One way to see how vulnerable your computer is would be to have it tested by one the various websites that specialize in security. One very good website is hosted by the Gibson Research Corporation and has several helpful feature like “Shields Up”, the address for this site is www.grc.com. Another popular site with many useful utilities would be www.dslreports.com. If these sites show you some holes in your security they will recommend several actions. One of the easiest and most effective would be to turn off file and print sharing for your computer. The second thing you could do would be to obtain a personal firewall. In this area you have two options, hardware or software. If you want an inexpensive route then you can download a software firewall.

Firewall? Just what is that? Well, it either a software program of hardware device that effectively blocks outsiders from entering your computer. Software firewalls just need to be installed onto your computer and can be either automatically configured of manually. Hardware involves connecting your computer into another device. Two of the more popular software firewalls are Zone Alarm (www.zonelabs.com) and Norton Personal Firewall (www.symantec.com). Using Zone Alarm, the above sites could find no exposed ports or even that this computer even was on; Zone Alarm completely cloaks your computer.

Before I go further, the motives and history if the hacker should be discussed. It usually begins with contempt; most virus writers and hackers feel left out of mainstream society. They are usually at least mildly smart, but don’t want to get a regular job. They sometimes want to be famous, or to at least be recognized. Money, however, is not the motivation in most cases. Hackers often complain that information should be free. However, one cannot purchase groceries for free. If someone generates useful information they usually expect to be able to feed and house themselves because of their effort. The hacker theory of free information also ignores the huge amount of work that preceded the hackers’ access to the Internet and computers. All to often, a hacker is the intellectual version of those spray-painting teens. Feeling powerless, they can at least break into someone else’s computer; leave a mark of some kind, thus, letting the world know that they exist. Of course, you cannot stereotype a whole group of people with a single portrait. I’m sure that not all hackers are socially inept and nerdy; there are undoubtedly handsome, popular, athletic hackers. Perhaps, one or two. When these hackers grow up, those that are actually talented often join the other side. They end up working for the government of business that they once despised. Kevin Mitenick, probably one of the most famous hackers recently testified before congress. Large corporations have hired hackers as security specialists. Some hackers have even banded together to form security consultant companies.

Perhaps you have heard that there is a distinction drawn between the merely curious (the true hacker) and the destructive (the black hats, whacker or cracker). This distinction is a bit self-serving, there is however some truth to it. A pure hacker is only interested in decryption, seeing if they can breach security, or learning all that they can about networks and systems. The just watch, never do any harm to the subject. This definition fits many people, in fact it a pretty good description of anyone who is interested in learning. However, the media and the public ignore this distinction. To be fair, hackers do not always stay pure.

So what exactly is the distinction between hackers? There are sub categories within the hacker community, defined by how they apply the hacker ethic. The hackers who seek only to break into systems and see what information is there and do no damage, and whose primary goal is to ensure the freedom of information are called samurai. Whackers are defined as would-be hackers who merely investigate systems, without attempting to create security breaches. Crackers are hackers who for lack of a better word have gone over to the dark side. Crackers are interes