Take Proper Precautions Against Hackers and Viruses

Usually when you hear the word hacker, it is in a scary news report about unscrupulous characters who have broken into large computer networks. For example, the hacker group Lulz Security, more commonly known as LulzSec, made headlines in early 2011 when it hacked into Fox.com, Sony and PBS' systems and the CIA's and British law enforcement's websites.

While this type of attack does happen, hackers more commonly invade the private computers of everyday people. Sometimes they spread their computer viruses for fun, or in the case of LulzSec, for revenge. Others do it with the intention of stealing personal information to use to make a profit. Either way, it is important to take the proper precautions to protect your computer from hackers and their viruses. Here are the best ways to do that.

Email Precautions

One of the most common ways computer viruses spread is through email. Hackers will gather the email addresses of random people, form a fake email with a convincing subject line, attach a virus to it and send it off with the hopes that some recipients will open or download the attachment. So, your best precaution against this virus-spreading tactic is:

• Don't open emails from people you don't know. If you're not sure, take a look at the email address. Hackers often use email addresses that start with a scramble of numbers and letters. For example, 23341feg1@hotmail.com.
• Don't download attachments to your hard drive if you don't know the sender.
• Don't open attachments online if you don't know the sender, even if it sounds important.

Website Precautions

Another way hackers put viruses on your computer is by tricking you into downloading them from websites. Some hackers don't even try to trick you; they simply download the virus as soon as the site loads. Avoid website virus downloads by following these tips:

• Avoiding notoriously shady sites like porn websites.
• Don't download software from a site before researching the site and the software.
• Don't click on pop-up ads.
• Don't download software from sites that say they have found a virus on your computer. These are usually fakes that will download a virus onto your computer instead of taking one off.

Install Internet Security Software

No matter how cautious you are, viruses can still invade your computer. The best way to block them and destroy them is to install anti-virus software. Be sure to choose software that runs constantly so that no malware can slip through undetected. Also, make sure that your software will scan external hard drives, emails, instant messages and websites for viruses. Many anti-virus software packages don't have these features, so you will need to shop around before finding one that will give you the best security.

Take the power away from hackers by following these simple precautions. Once you are prepared, hackers can go back to being scary people you hear about on the news, and you can feel safe again.

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