No, this section of the article is not about how to hack someone. Sorry kids.  However, here you’ll learn all about hacking, how to detect the presence of a hacker, and how to steer clear of becoming a hacker’s next victim.

Despite the true definition of a hacker, (a superb programmer whose role is practically essential in the production of programs by testing and resolving security issues; one whose knowledge allows them to modify hardware; or an expert in the field of computer and network security), the public views a hacker as a villain with nothing better to than break their way into your computer.  Similarly, I refer to the low-lives who “hack” into other people’s computers for unethical purposes as hackers and throughout this article I will utilize the name “hacker” to describe this type of person.  I am now going to depict two forms of hacking, database hacking and personal computer hacking.

Database Hacking:  Database hacking is an extremely destructive form of hacking in which the hacker breaks there way into a database and has unlimited access to the information stored on the database.  This is why network and internet security is so important; if someone hacks into even the smallest online store’s database, they will have complete access to addresses, names, credit card numbers, user accounts, passwords, and more.  Unfortunately, as an internet user we have to place a certain level of trust in the organizations we share personal information with, and hope they have taken the appropriate measures to protect and secure the information on their databases.  Just imagine what a hacker could do if they hacked into Amazon, eBay, PayPal, or the IRS; the extent of possibly inflicted damage is practically limitless. 

Due to the always imminent threat of database hacking, it’s a good idea to do your homework before sharing personal data with an online store or organization.  Perform a Google search and look for any reports of past database hacking incidents and read any company FAQ sheets.  Also, I recommend only dealing with the major online stores and consistently urge buyers to stray away from purchasing products from a site which doesn’t look professional or offer any other means of contacting a sales representative besides email.  A few minutes of investigating into a site’s integrity can boost your confidence in their database security and possibly prevent you from making the tremendous mistake of entrusting personal information on an insecure database.

PC Hacking:  Like its name implies, PC hacking is the practice of breaking into someone’s personal computer and remotely obtaining access to the data stored on that computer.  This form of hacking is frequently featured in movies and television, often where young teens are apprehended for tapping into the Pentagon or something ridiculous like that.  Putting aside unrealistic notions such as those, personal computer users must realize that hacking is a threat to their privacy.  However, there exists a vast arsenal of programs and devices to virtually seal our personal computers off from unwanted intruders.  When well equipped, a PC user will not have to worry about hacking.  Nonetheless, PC users must remember to never let their guard down.

Detecting and Preventing:  The worst part about a hacker is that they are able to access a computer remotely and do their damage (such as copy private files, credit card reports, photos, etc.) without leaving any clues or indications that someone has illicitly entered the computer.  However, there are some hackers whose only desire is to reconfigure and destroy other people’s computers.  In an event like this, it will be pretty obvious that you’ve had a recent intrusion by a hacker; the overall settings might have been changed, a message might be displayed on the desktop, files might be moved or missing, or programs might have been reconfigured.  At this point, there is really nothing you can do unless you are protected with a program like Deep Freeze, which will reverse any system changes to what they were before.  However, on a side note, there is little practicality to use such a program on your personal computer because any documents or settings changes you make will be reversed; an application like Deep Freeze is more suitable for public computers.  Returning to the topic of the section, detecting the presence of a hacker is quite difficult.  For that reason, it is a PC user’s responsibility to outfit their computer with the proper tools to prevent hacking attempts.  Here are a few recommendations to help cloak your computer from the outside world and prevent hacker intrusions.

•  Install and configure your firewall so that only trusted programs are allowed to connect to and from your computer.  The built in Windows Firewall (with XP SP2) does a pretty good job at this, but a personal favourite of mine, Zone Alarm (free), also monitors outgoing activity.  Most software firewalls do a good job in closing and blocking unnecessary ports on your computer, making it much harder for a hacker to enter your computer remotely.
  
  


• Install, update, and run antivirus and antispyware programs.  Hackers often utilize malicious applications that can open a “back-door” into your computer, facilitating access into your system.  Antivirus and antispyware programs can help locate and remove these and many other kinds of malicious applications.  A firewall with an outgoing activity monitor will also alert you when a malicious application attempts to open a “back-door”.
  
  


• Run Windows Updates to make sure you have the latest and most secure version of your operating system.  Updates are frequently released with security patches which resolve exploitable security holes in the operating system.
  
  


• Never download or install illegal copies of software.  Besides it being against the law, illegal copies of software are often tweaked and modified to install “back-door” opening Trojan horses.
  
  


• Watching what you download from websites and email attachments can drastically reduce your possibility of accidentally downloading malicious software.  Like stated above, malicious applications are a hacker’s best friend and often function as an essential tool when remotely entering someone’s personal computer.  Therefore, by avoiding spyware, malware, and viruses, you are limiting your chances of getting hacked.  This is a win, win situation.
  
  


• Routers, which are quite reasonably priced, also act as hardware firewalls, helping to mask your personal computer from the outside world.  When installed, a router is a great means of preventing unwanted access to your computer.
  
  


• Encryption is another tool used to deter hackers from getting a hold of your personal information.  A strong encryption can be nearly impossible to break, not to mention that it is an extremely time consuming obstacle to overcome.  However, encryption is often seen as overkill because we tend to think that our firewall and router will keep hackers from ever coming in contact with the data stored on our computers.  It’s only advantageous to encrypt your data if it is highly confidential or you have had past experiences with hackers.

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