Responding to Internet HackersWritten by Rosalyn Bronstein
Internet hackers strike inadequately protected computers. Even having a firewall may not be enough. These unwelcome trespassers break into computers with intent to disrupt, steal information, cause damage, and profit from these activities. Data mining should be illegal everywhere. Those who leave unwanted advertising in form of pop-ups and pop-unders aren’t much better.A growing Internet security industry has resulted from need to keep computers free of external junk. Hacking gets more prevalent and vicious with each passing day. Perhaps it’s happened to someone you know. Well, it’s happened to me. When my computer was invaded by a multinational ISP – on I don’t use and never will use – I was horrified. Then my e-mail account was hijacked. After getting feelings of anger and vulnerability under control, I filed a complaint with Federal Trade Commission, and contacted my Congressman to see what could legally be done to stop offenders.
| | There Ought to be a LawWritten by Rosalyn Bronstein
I hadn’t fully realized extent of computer hacking problem until I began receiving feedback from article I recently wrote. Apparently, lots of others have had similar –and some much more upsetting experiences. Web sites that legitimate individuals worked hard to create and optimize have been “visited and changed”, and e-mails have gone out, supposedly from their address, but in actuality from some computer spewing fraudulent messages – and very likely to millions of recipients they don’t even know about.I’ve had that dreaded experience a number of times. Since I write frequently and send out lots of articles, I decided to use a distribution service to try and eliminate some of these problems. It’s helped enormously. Now, only e-mail account I need worry about is my “throw-away” one, where all junk mail goes. Actually, since I’ve begun using private messaging, I’ve found that spam and junk mail are a thing of past. With private messaging, there is no spam – it’s a closed environment – and only people who are sending me messages are my friends and family. These are people I want to hear from, and look forward to hearing from. There’s no advertising, and I don’t have to be afraid of receiving computer viruses – that doesn’t happen. I know that whenever I send or receive using this service, my communication will be private and secure. And I find it easier than e-mail.
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