Can An Intruder Get Into Your Laptop Computer And Get Your Credit Card Info Using These Methods?


By Steve McArthur


Okay, you've just got your brand spanking new super duper laptop computer home and unpacked. You went ahead and spent the extra money for a few more bells and whistles just in case you might need them. Of course, you don't know what these bells and whistles are used for, but you surmise that they must be useful for something.

The problem with new laptop computers is that right out of the box they run extremely smooth and fast, lightning fast. You can click Mr. Mouse and whamo, the screen pops up faster than you can say "Jack Sprat". You may even be able to play movies on them with crystal clarity. However, over a period of time your laptop computer can start running like honey on a cold winters day.

So, what do you do? Well, the first thing you want to make sure you do is set up a firewall for your Internet connection. What a firewall does is put up a line of defense against intruders who may have an evil intent. They would love to get access to your hard drive on your laptop computer and poke around in there to see what personal secrets they could find, like your credit card information.


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 403, exiting

More Personal Technology Information:

Related Articles

Computer Performance Tips
IntroductionIn this article I will clearly spell out the most effective steps you can take in order to increase the performance of your computer and enhance your computing experience.More Memory (RAM)If your computer has less then 256 MB of memory you may want to consider adding more.
Be Your Own IT Department
If you use a computer, you need to know more than just how to use your email and surf the web. You need to know that you are protected.
5 Minute Guide to Video Editing for Beginners
Getting started with video editing is very simple you only need a few items and you can be producing quality movies at home that you will be able to enjoy for many years to come. Maybe even produce a hit Hollywood movie.
iPod users get the picture
iPod users start to get the picture and it's turning out to be colorful fun!!The latest generation of hi tech gadget users are watching the different media they use start to converge as Apple launches its latest grab for the market with iPod Photo. Not only can you listen to all your music on the go, or organize your business and social life, but now your entire photo collection can be viewed at hand too.
Flash Memory, Part I: MMC and SD
MMC and SDFlash memory is available in so many formats that it can be difficult to know what will work with any particular device. Devices such as MP3 players, PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and personal computers can take advantage of flash memory to bolster their storage capacity, but selecting the right format may be easier said than done.
Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification: OSPF ASBRs Explained And Illustrated
When I first started studying for my CCNP, some of the concepts of OSPF really confused me. This was especially true for the ASBR, stub areas, and total stub areas.
Selecting a Personal Digital Assistant
A Computer in Your HandCarrying around an address book and planner is becoming a thing of the past. With new PDA developments, you can manage your contacts and schedule, use e-mail, and even listen to music.
Cisco Certification: Building Your Own Home Lab, Part I
CCNAs and CCNA candidates hear it all the time: Get some hands-on experience. From my personal experience climbing the Cisco certification ladder, I can tell you firsthand that there is no learning like hands-on learning.
Your Computer Cant Keep Time
A computer needs a certain amount of information to operate; for example, the date and time, the amount of memory installed, the number of drives and their configuration, and so on. In the early days of computers, either the user typed in this information each time the computer started, or it was set using DIP switches and jumpers.
7 Reasons NOT to Take Your Laptop on Holiday!
Heading off on vacation soon?Then perhaps you're tempted to take your trusty laptop along for the trip.After all, you bought it for its mobility, and it's nice to stay in touch via email with your family and friends back home.
Your Home is in Your Hands
I would like to tell you about a magic home. You or your children have bought a home and fixed it up very nicely.
How Does a Palm Pilot Work?
Just The Facts, Ma'mPalm pilots are all the rage now. Everyone has a pda or wants to get one in the near future.
Deleting and Destroying Data Forever
Peoples' private information needs to stay private, even after it has been erased. Wait a minute, after it's been erased?Have you ever given away an old computer or diskette, deleting the files off it, or giving it a quick format to make sure your information is gone? That might not be enough to stop some one from easily recovering the information!When you delete a file, normally the operating system and file system say, "ok the file is gone!" but at the physical level the information is still there.
Bluetooth Headphones For Your PDA
Nothing is worse than having to negotiate all kinds of cables with your many electronic devices. This is why bluetooth technology is so fantastic.
The Benefits of the New Firefox Browser
You probably heard of the new Firefox browser version 1.0 recently released by Mozilla.
Got Virus?
GOT VIRUS? Your Data is NOT lost forever!In the wake of so many computer viruses running wild, "Hope is not lost"!With the recent release of such viruses as: mydoom; netsky; mofei, lovegate and many more destructive viruses, there is an affordable solution to recover your lost files from your hard drive.Selecting a Data Recovery Service Company can be a challenging and confusing undertaking to say the least.
Classification of Computers
Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due to these different shapes and sizes they perform different sorts of jobs from one another.They can also be classified in different ways.
Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 3 of 5)
Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, "Where do I start?!"In part 3 of our 5 part article, we the discuss what HDTV is.HDTV stands for High Definition TV.
5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed & Help Your Computer Run More Efficiently!
If you're a computer expert, you'll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you're not an expert, don't worry - these tips are simple, and don't require a lot of computer experience.
Computer Consulting 101 PC Troubleshooting Advice
While most small businesses really do need to find a good local computer consulting business to take care of their computer problems, there are some computer problems that are simple enough for even a technophobe to handle. At Computer Consulting 101, we've found there's one very simple piece of advice that often doesn't get communicated to non-technical small business end users: When in doubt, reboot first.