Computer security is an intimidating topic. Major corporations spend millions of dollars each year to secure their Web sites and networks, and yet it seems every day there are new reports of attacks and vulnerabilities.
Intruders typically gain access to computers by taking advantage of glitches in networking software.
The software required for Web sites and networks is considerably more complex than anything found on the typical consumer PC, and is therefore much more vulnerable to these bugs. With just a little bit of caution and common sense, you can make that home computer almost impervious to attack. Always know what programs are running on your machine, and never run anything unless you know how to configure it securely. The same is true if you want to use any sort of network server or remote access software. Find out how.