It can also harvest specific types of information such as credit card numbers or passwords. Passwords used to unlock online bank accounts or sell stocks, for example, are the type of information that is typically left unprotected on home computer hard drives. Encryption software can be used to lock up that data so it cannot be read by hackers, but few people spend the time or money on those or on anti-virus tools, experts agree. Without that protection, so-called Trojan Horse attacks such as Back Orifice can take over a computer. Armed with passwords and keys to lock and unlock scrambled data, a hacker can then control a computer and masquerade as its owner for any online transactions.
Hazards extend to the connection between a computer and the Internet.
The longer that link is established, particularly with always-on cable modem service, the higher the risk of being hacked. But not everyone agrees the Internet is a dangerous place. He says risks arise with careless consumers who do not ensure protection by properly installing online software and security systems. I compare it to opening a new game at Christmas. Cable firms, for example, offer instructions to disable an option that allows Internet customers to peek at a neighbor's computer files with just a few clicks of the mouse.