Computer hackers are real and they are a clear and present danger to
you. While hackers, or computer burglars who remotely access your PC,
used to be happy with just stealing your financial data so they could
empty your bank accounts and run up your charge cards, now there are
also concerted efforts to steal your identity so they can create forged
documents and sell them to terrorists and other criminals who seek to
hide their real identities from law enforcement agencies. It is just a
matter of time until one of them try to access your PC.

This isn't some James Bond plot that only happens to the other guy, and
it's not only your home PC that is at risk. A recent study found that
hackers are also getting access to business networks by entering through
the home computers of employees who connect to their office from their
residence.

According to this same study one in six PCs tested at testmysecurity.com
were totally unprotected. This is like leaving your keys in your car
with the engine running while you shop in the mall. You are asking for
trouble.

The major concern is that the FBI and the Secret Service, along with the
Federal trade Commission do not have the financial and human resources
to enforce this new law. The FTC alone received 460,000
ID-theft complaints in 2003 which represents only a fraction of the over
10 million people who have fallen victim to identity theft in the U.S.A.

Fortunately, the price of vigilance is small compared to the potential
losses involved. You don't have to me an IT Manager to button up your
home PC. In fact, we've published a series of articles right here on
this web site that will show you exactly what threats exist and what you
can do about them.

We've made every effort to show you simple things that you can do
yourself as well as software protection tools that are either free or
low cost.