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Protecting your computer and personal information from computer viruses and hackers

Electronic commerce is becoming more and more prevalent in the way American consumers conduct their personal business. With the increase in electronic commerce and personal finance activity comes an increase in the number of potential threats to your private information via computer viruses and hackers. New virus threats are being created on an almost daily basis, and any home personal computer connected to the Internet is a potential target for these troublesome and dangerous virus programs. This malicious activity requires that extreme care be taken to protect your personal computer and private information from computer viruses and hackers.

Virus programs usually find their way into home computers by way of e-mail, and once they get into your computer they can do everything from destroying important files, to copying the information you keep on your computer, to logging your key strokes to capture the user IDs and passwords you use on various Internet sites.

So, what can you do to protect your home computer and the information it stores? Anyone who uses a home computer to keep track of personal financial records and/or business records, balance bank statements, monitor investment accounts, make on-line purchases of products or services with a credit or debit card, and/or pay credit card bills or other bills via the Internet, should be using good virus protection software on their PC. In addition to using good virus protection software, computer owners should subscribe to the service offered by the software vendor to do frequent automatic updates of virus definitions. Healthcare Plus FCU does not endorse or guarantee any software, but examples of vendors who have highly-rated virus protection software for home computers are McAfee and Norton.

You should also install a firewall to provide additional protection, especially if you use a cable modem for Internet access. A firewall is a piece of software that monitors all incoming network traffic and allows in only the connections that are known and trusted. Cable modem users are prime targets for hackers and crackers because they offer an “open door” to the Internet as soon as the computer is turned on, whether you are browsing the Internet or not. Again, Healthcare Plus FCU does not endorse or guarantee any software, but examples of vendors who have highly-rated firewall software for home computers are Zone Labs, McAfee and Norton.

Anti-virus software and firewall software is readily available at numerous retailers. To make sure you get the most appropriate software for the computer that you have, it is a good idea to consult your PC retailer. If you don’t feel comfortable installing the software yourself, contact your local computer vendor.

As the use of electronic commerce continues to increase, it is imperative that you take action to protect your computer and personal information from computer viruses and hackers.