Can someone really gain control of your computer? In a word, “YES!”

Get this: The average machine is so poorly protected that someone (and a “bad” someone, at that) tries to enter several times every hour, using software that targets online computers.

These “bad someones” are called hackers and they can gain control of your computer, watch what you do, and even open your files on your hard drive. Believe it or not, they can even automate their “tactics” and have their “attacks” launched when they are nowhere near their own computers.

It works like this: using two computers (one as the attacker and one as a victim), hackers can control the cursor on your screen, open your CD-ROM tray or steal your online banking password even though it’s blanked out on your screen.

These hackers can then use your computer for illegal activity, such as distributing pornography or launching attacks on other computers.

To protect your computer, install good anti-virus software and keep it up to date. Most people have this but not everyone updates it regularly. This will not only keep your programs and data safe from damage, it also makes it much harder for hackers to break in. They often start an attack by infecting your computer with a virus that opens a door into your system, a door they can later exploit.