P C. owners are constantly at risk from attacks by hackers.

Spy ware, viruses, trogan horses, and all sorts of other malevolent programs are all trying to take control of your computer.

What can we do about it?

How can we be sure that we are properly protected against them?

A hacker will generally not be interested in doing damage to your PC. His main interest is in gaining control of your computer so that he can use it to send out hundreds of thousands of e-mails in your name with the intention of crashing your mail server.

This can get you into very serious trouble with the server. This is ssomething that you do not want. How are you going to prove that you were not to blame?

How do the hackers do it?

What tools do they use?

A port scanner.

What is a port scanner?

A port scanner can locate PCs that are on line and check for an open port.

A hacker using a program such as ?Super Scan? can find an open port to gain entrance to your computer. Once in, he can use your computer as if it were his own. The only difference is that to all intents and purposes it is you that is causing all of the trouble.

The main port that the hacker is interested in is port 80. This is the one that you use to log on to the internet.

I am not going to confuse you with all the various programs that are designed to show you what ports are open at anyy particular time. What you need to know is how to protect your computer against these attacks.

There are a number of programs designed to show you what is going on inside your PC. I will give you a short list of some that are recommended by some of the program makers.

The one that I would not be without is: www.testmyfirewall.com As its name implies it will test your firewall for flaws and scan for open ports and any other security problems you may have.

You do have a firewall, don?t you?

Another one is: For more information about this article and/or the author visit http://www.testmyfirewall.com