5 Surefire Tips to Protect Your Computers from Hackers
Author: Mandira Kumar
Date Created: Aug 21, 2008 - 2:25:48 AM
Hacking attacks are
constant worry and perennial headache for any network administrator. More
interestingly and ironically, the best defense against them comes from hackers
themselves. But these hackers are of a different kind and breed – they are
‘ethical hackers’
While companies and
government organizations all across the world are spending huge sums on hiring
professional network security experts or ethical computer hackers, you can make
your computer secure by being a little more careful and by keeping your system
equipped with next generation anti-hacking solutions. Let’s see how…
1.
Always use the latest version of
anti-virus software applications.
With
good anti-virus software, whenever a hacker tries to access your machine you
would be warned about it so that you can take necessary steps before any damage
is done.
2.
Always keep the firewalls in active mode
as it will prevent unauthorized entry by the hackers.
3.
Keep checking the programs running on
your system on a regular basis. In case, you come across some program that you
might not have installed or which does not form part of standard operating
system, then be alert and cross check it as it might be some sort of spam.
4.
To minimize risk against virus attacks
and hackers, keep your operating system up to date as it allows the machine to
be aware of the latest discovered security holes. If you don’t do that, you are
just giving open invitation to the hackers who just evolve from every failed or
‘taken care of’ hacking attack.
5.
Never ignore the patches when they arrive
for installation. Usually what happens is that a hacker makes a way to enter
your computer through some common programs. By installing security fixes and
patches you make your computer safe from hackers as they are developed with the
sole motive to fix security related issues.
Well, these tips
are just the primary precautions to keep your system safe from the hands of
hackers. But it’s better to take help of experts to take care of security
measures. Many companies nowadays employ ethical hackers with knowledge of
network security, cracking and hacking to counter the menace of criminal
hacking.
Let me explain a
little more. Hackers are broadly categorized into three groups:
-
Black-hat hacker- These are the
malicious or criminal hackers that break into networks or computers, or create
computer viruses.
-
Grey-hat hacker: These are skilled hackers
who have mixed characteristics of white and black-hat hackers. They usually
hack for fun or challenge but in the process can do some pretty damaging
things.
-
White-hat hacker: These are ethical
hackers whose task is to provide security and protection to IT systems. Such
people are employed by companies to enhance their IT security and keep their
network systems free of hackers and spammers.
Ethical hacking is
thus fast becoming a chosen career option for young IT pros given the fact that
the IT security market worldwide is growing by leaps and bounds. There are
various courses available for computer hacking and network security training.
Professional cracking tutorials and other courses prepare IT security pros for
attractive careers in big organizations.
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