Has Your Computer Been Hijacked?
At this very moment, your home computer may be breaking the law. It could be part of many illegal activities such as buying stock illegally or downloading and distributing pornography. PC Hijackers may be targeting your computer.
Personal computers (PC) hijacking is when a network-connected PC has been taken control of by a hacker and then they are able to control that computer remotely. They can gain access to e-mail, passwords, and other data on a PC. They also can use the PC to send out Spam e-mail, distribute porn all without the owner's knowledge. The remote-controlled PC is often referred to by attackers as "zombies."
More than one thousand unsuspecting Internet users around the world will have their computers hijacked today. Computers hijacked are usually done so because they are connected to a high-speed source. Many use computer hijacking to send pornographic web pages to people offering to sign them up. They store explicit pictures on the hijacked computer all without the owner's knowledge.
Computer robots (bots) are usually one way of attacking a computer. The bots that hijack computers can make their way onto the PC in any number of ways. The most common are virus encrypted e-mails and websites that are booby-trapped. Most Hijacked computers are not used to play harmless pranks on the Internet, but used to do serious crimes such as trafficking pornography.
Computer experts suggest the following ways to help prevent your computer from being hijacked:
- Install a firewall and use it as recommended
- Make sure your anti-spyware and anti-virus programs are updated regularly
- Be sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs cover your email software. .
