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The term computer hacker first showed up in the mid-1960s. A hacker was a programmer -- someone who hacked out computer code. Hackers were visionaries who could see new ways to use computers, creating programs that no one else could conceive. They were the pioneers of the computer industry, building everything from small applications to operating systems. In this sense, people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were all hackers -- they saw the potential of what computers could do and created ways to achieve that potential.
Today, a new breed of hackers have taken center stage.
The first perception one may have of a computer hacker is a socially challenged teenager with too much time on his hands. Unfortunately, this stereotype is not descriptive of the computer hackers today. They have evolved and partake in various fraud schemes and in many instances package and resell stolen information to other criminals. There are no boundaries to age, gender, or nationality.
From a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Symantec Corp's latest semiannual threat report stated that malicious programs designed to pilfer confidential information is becoming more prevalent. Nearly 80% of these programs main intent is to track users' keystrokes to steal confidential information such as account numbers and passwords.
If you must use a public computer at a library, airport, or cafe, please be cautious and ensure you do everything possible to protect yourself.
Don't log into your email account and leave the room without
ever signing out. If you receive bank notifications or
accumulate personal information within your email account, you
just left the front door open to anybody who uses the computer
next. Not all email programs automatically log you out after a
specified time period. In addition, if you store personal
information on a removable flash drive, CD, or floppy drive,
don't forget to take it with you!
I am astound to know how easily obtainable you can purchase somebody's complete identity, and for as little as $14 to $18 for a person's name, home address, date of birth, social security number, credit card and bank account numbers. Do you have a PayPal account? They can be purchased for $50 to $500, depending upon your available balance.
Zombie Home Computer
A "zombie" home computer can be purchased for as little as $6. A zombie computer is a computer connected to the internet that has been breached by a security cracker or a computer virus. In most cases a zombie computer is one of many within a botnet. Zombie computers are used to launch malevolent tasks directed remotely from the computer hacker. Owners of Zombie computers are unaware that their computer is part of a botnet. Symantec says it has detected over six million bot-infected
computers on the internet. This is a 29% increase from the
first half of last year.
Pump and Bump Schemes
"Pump and dump" schemes are a prime example of what a zombie computer is capable of. "Pump and dump" has also been referred to as "hype and dump manipulation" and it typically involves mass emails sent out to people to invest in a microcap company. While telemarketers also take advantage of this scheme, it seems most prevalent through email to gain mass exposure. After pumping the stock, swindlers make huge profits by selling their cheap stock into the market.
Phishing
Another popular identity theft scheme is called phishing. "Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication". Unless you have a very sophisticated spam filtering system, or you select to white list all of your recipients,
somebody will attempt to "phish" information from you. Ebay
and PayPal are two of the most popular targeted companies.
If your computer is breached and information has been stolen,
or you unknowingly elect to provide this information through a
phishing scheme, it is just a matter of time before your
identity reaches the black market. You must be cautious about
guarding your identity by being careful about the web sites
you visit, the web sites you provide information to, and by
using security software.
Stolen Data
In addition to hacker infiltration of computers,
identity theft can also result from stolen data. One of the
worst documented cases to date happened to T.J. MAXX where
hackers unearthed data from at least 45.7 million credit and
debit cards dating back to early 2003.
Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people that target unprotected computers and prey on gullible people. No matter how protective you are of your computer and your computing behavior, you are still fair game to the weak practices of other people and business organizations where you compute. At the very least please do yourself the favor of evaluating your computing habits and make changes where necessary. |
