5 Ways Hackers Attack You (and how to counter them) by Kim Komando ~ High Tech House Calls

Sunday, July 14, 2013

5 Ways Hackers Attack You (and how to counter them) by Kim Komando

7:26 PM High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting

The best way is to know how hackers do what they do. Once you know that, you can counter their malicious acts. Here are five popular hacker strategies.

1. Phishing scams
Lucky you! A Nigerian prince has selected you to help smuggle millions out of his country. For a little bit of effort - a few simple wire transfers - you'll get a substantial cut. What could be easier?

I bet you're asking yourself, "Who would fall for that?" Well, tens of thousands of people do every year. That's why Nigerian scams, or 419 scams, are still very popular.

Other versions might say you won a contest or have a job offer. Maybe someone wants to meet you, or you can make money for shipping some goods.

The catch is that you have to send in personal or banking information, or pay a fee. Of course, your information and money is going straight to hackers.

Use common sense before reacting to any email. Scams rely on making you act quickly. If you think about things long enough, you can usually see through them. Just remember the old saying, "If it looks too good to be true … "

2. Trojan horse
Many hackers want to slip a virus on your computer. Once installed, a virus can record everything you type and send it back to the hacker. It can send out spam email or attack other computers.

To do this, the hackers disguise the virus as something harmless. This is called a Trojan horse, or just Trojan.

One of the most popular ways to deliver a Trojan is a variation of the phishing email scams.

For example, the email might say it's from a shipping service, bank or other reputable company. There's been a problem with a transaction! To learn more, you have to open an email attachment.

The attachment might look like a normal file, but it really contains a Trojan. Clicking on the file installs it before you can do anything.

Similar scams appear on Facebook and Twitter. You think you're going to watch a funny video your friend posted. Instead, a popup tells you to update your video player. The "update" file it provides is really a Trojan.

The key to defeat this tactic, as with phishing emails, is common sense. However, up-to-date security software is essential as well. It should detect and stop most Trojans before they can install. Click here for the best security software you can download without paying a dime.

3. Drive-by downloads
Security software is good, but it isn't always enough. Programs on your computer might have weaknesses that hackers can use to bypass security software.

To take advantage of these weaknesses, hackers set up website embedded with viruses. You might get there by clicking a malicious link in a phishing email or on social media. You can even find these sites in a search for popular programs or topics.

It isn't just malicious sites, though. Hackers can sneak malicious code on to legitimate websites. The code scans your computers for security holes. If it finds one, a virus can download and install without you doing anything.

To stay safe, you have to keep your programs up to date. Every month, Microsoft releases updates for Windows and Internet Explorer. These updates close critical security holes that hackers exploit. Click here to learn how to update Windows.

Other critical programs to patch are Adobe's Flash and Reader, and Oracle's Java. Using old versions of these programs is like sending hackers an engraved invitation. Click here to learn more about keeping these programs up to date.

You should also be using the latest version of your programs. Anyone using Internet Explorer 6, 7 or 8 needs to update or switch browsers immediately. Click here to learn more about switching browsers.

4. Bypassing passwords
In Hollywood movies, hackers are masters of guessing account passwords. In the real world, however, very few hackers bother.

Instead, they go around passwords. They might get your password from a data breach at a company or website you use.

It's important that you use a different password for every account. That way, if a hacker discovers one, they can't get in to every account. Click here for instructions to create strong, memorable passwords.

Perhaps the hacker slipped a virus on to your system. It records your passwords and sends them to the hacker; no guessing needed.

As I mentioned above, you can stop viruses with up-to-date security software and programs.

A hacker might tackle your account's security question. Most security questions can be answered with information people post publicly.

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