We often hear about the risks of potential threats to our security that are involved with using the Internet and taking care of our daily errands online. There is no doubt that it is a major convenience to be able to pay bills, balance bank accounts and do our shopping online, but there are also responsibilities that accompany the ease of modern life.

Whenever we use the Internet, our computer stores bits of information about every exchange:

• Instant messaging conversations
• Credit card information
• Internet browsing history

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The risks come in when other people and other computers are able to access our computers and, as a result, our personal and sensitive information. Since we still want the pleasure of doing business online, we must follow a number of steps to protect our privacy and our behaviors online.

One important first step is to keep your passwords and your codes private. If your personal information, like your birth date, address and telephone number are all included on your banking profile, then to use any of this information for your password would be making your code pretty easy to crack. Choose unrelated passwords that include letters and numbers that are difficult to associate.

When you are browsing on the Internet, most websites put ‘cookies’ on your computer, that is, a little data file that stores your personal information and preferences. Cookies are intended to ease our use of websites by saving time and remembering our personal information so that we don’t have to repeatedly enter it each time we visit. But the information stored in cookies also offers a package of your sensitive data for potential hackers, spammers and statistics gatherers. It is a good idea to log off of all sites that you sign in to and periodically clear your cookies and delete your web browsing history so that personal information is not available after you have logged off and left the site.

An Internet security software program that includes a good firewall can guard against the biggest online threats to your privacy such as identity theft and malware that tracks and saves your personal browsing habits and makes you a target for adware and targeted exploitation. If you visit some websites and online forums for public use, and others for personal reasons, like banking, it is advisable to use a different email address that isn’t connected to your name or business for publicly accessible information in order to protect your privacy.

A number of computer security software programs that focus on privacy are also available. Internet privacy scans are specifically targeted to monitor and delete cookies that websites put on your computer, permanently remove your browsing history and any stored website addresses, clear all record of media downloads and IM communiqués, and delete any inputted passwords, credit card numbers or other secure information.

 A cookie, also referred to as an http cookie or a web cookie, is a small bit of data that is deposited on a user’s computer when visiting a web site. These cookies allow the site to remember the user and any personal information that is input while on the site, such as passwords and account numbers. By placing the cookie on your computer, the next time that you visit the site, it can access the stored information and ‘remember’ you and your data, saving you from re-entering identifying information.

In many cases, cookies are helpful and timesaving for users since they remember personal information such as names, addresses and other billing information so that you don’t have to re-enter the same data every time you shop online. In addition, they allow you to instead save items in online shopping carts.

However, there are also drawbacks to cookies. Once the data is stored on your computer it is retrievable by hackers online if they are able to access your computer. If you save all your account and password information, then all a hacker has to do is gain access to your computer and they can access all your sensitive information. Another possible threat is online, and the risk that inscrutable websites collect your personal information for reasons like identity or credit theft, adware solicitation or tracking your Internet use.

While some sites require that you have cookies enabled to use them, there is always the option to turn them off. Depending on your browser there are different steps to follow. For Internet Explorer, go in to your Tools menu and chose Internet Options. Next, select the Security/Privacy tab then the Custom Level tab. Then, find the Cookies label and select Disable to turn cookies off altogether or Prompt if you would like to be asked for explicit permission for each site that uses cookies. If you select restricted allowance of cookies then each time a site tries to access your computer it will be restricted while you are offered an explanation of the site and the information and can choose to accept or reject it. However, some sites do require cookies and refusing them will mean that you can’t use the site.

There are also a number of privacy software programs that are designed to help you monitor and deal with threats to your security, such as cookies. In addition to other risks, like cached files and browsing histories, that can be used to monitor your online behavior and preferences, privacy scans can root out and eliminate all types of spyware to enhance your online privacy and Internet security.

 A privacy scan is a computer software program that is designed to search your computer for a number of things that decrease your security and make you vulnerable to other people or companies gaining access to your personal information. There are a number of means by which your data can be accessed by others, and a privacy scan is intended to search your computer for information of this kind, check your vulnerability and erase any information that might be used against you.

When you use the Internet, every website you look at, message you send, media unit you download or purchase you make is recorded on your computer. If your computer is used by others, or could be accessed by others, then it makes sense that there might be information on it that you would prefer stay private. Whether business or personal, there are times when, and people with whom, we might not choose to divulge all of our Internet habits, and a privacy scan can help.

Privacy scans are able to identify and locate many sorts of threats to personal privacy including cached files that have been downloaded from the Internet, so that your personal use stays personal. Scans remove the complication and hassle of manually deleting your Internet browsing history so that there is no trace left behind on your computer for anyone else to find. This way, there is no history of the sites you visit left on your system once you delete them.

If you download media files, privacy scans are also able to remove them so that they don’t clutter up your computer once you’ve watched them and so that there is no trace of them remaining.

Another much talked about source in computer vulnerability are cookies. Internet cookies are small pieces of data that are put on your computer by websites that you visit so that, after you have left the site, your personal information remains available. The intention of cookies is to ease use of sites for the user, by keeping record of personal preferences, contact information and passwords, however, the drawback is the possibility that this sensitive information, once stored, might be vulnerable to third party viewing. If hackers, thieves, marketers or spies are able to gain access to your information you are at increased risk of identity theft, credit theft, adware, spyware, spamming and so on. Privacy scans are equipped to detect and isolate cookies so that you can easily remove them from your computer. Another option with cookies is to adjust your computer settings to resist cookies, or ask permission before accepting them, although many websites require cookies in order to be accessed.

Privacy scans are good options for those who are concerned about the remnants of personal Internet use remaining on their computers as well as for those concerned about the vulnerability to theft and exploitation caused by sensitive data left on your computer. Temporary Internet files, cache files and incomplete installs and uninstalls all clutter your computer and can cause your system to slow down, as well as compromise your privacy. Privacy scans are effective ways to rid your system of numerous kinds of clutter and risk, in one simple process.

 Have you ever entered your personal information on a website, for example to make a purchase or fill out a form, and wondered if your information was secure? If you use your computer for shopping, banking or accounting, you have most likely given your Internet security some thought. Internet security refers to the level of privacy you maintain while online and the ability of others to access your personal information. On one hand, it is extremely convenient to balance your virtual checkbook from the comfort of your home, yet there are also drawbacks to putting your personal information online.

Everything that you do online on your computer, every Internet search, media download and instant messaging conversation is stored on your computer. While this might not seem to be a problem at first glance, there are a few implications worth thinking about. All the sensitive information that hangs around on your computer makes you vulnerable to a potentially devastating violation of privacy.

Whether you suffer a severe invasion like identity or credit theft by an online hacker, or only experience a simple slip that exposes private banking or business information to a colleague, boss or spouse, the personal material left on your computer can put you in dangerous or awkward situations, and a privacy scan can help.

One specific risk posed to your Internet security arrives on your computer in the form of a ‘cookie’. Cookies are small pieces of information, sent by the website you are visiting to your computer. Most often the intention of cookies is to store information about you or your preferences on websites. These cookies remain, even after you end your contact with the site, so that the next time you visit, all information will be there.

The intention behind the use of cookies is most often benign, even helpful to the user, as the stored information saves you from entering information, like mailing addresses, every time you visit a site. Yet, as with most things, there are occasions when cookies and stored user information are exploited and you and your computer are at risk. While cookies that store your selected purchases in a shopping basket at your favorite online store may be safe and convenient, there are other times when you might prefer a website not retain your personal data.

Cookies were intended only for the use of the website, though they have been vulnerable to exploitation. After a website retrieves your personal information it can be accessed or stolen for several purposes including credit or identity theft, gathering statistics and advertising, to name a few.

Privacy scans are a software technology that searches your computer for risks to your Internet security and maintains safe conditions to ensure your privacy. The scans will monitor the cookies that websites place on your system and delete them after you leave the websites so that your personal information isn’t easy for hackers to retrieve. Privacy scans will also: remove any saved Internet addresses or browser histories so that your Internet use remains private; clear cached files; and delete media downloads.

 The IP, or Internet Protocol Address, of every computer is unique and is used to identify and locate computers on a network. IP addresses can be used in this way on both private networks like LANs, as well as public networks like the Internet. As an interesting exercise, try typing “IP address” in a Google search and be amazed that you can see your actual latitude and longitude, as well as your Internet Service Provider (ISP)! IP addresses are actually stored in binary code, but are most often shown in regular numerals for ease of use. There are a few reasons that you might want to hide your IP address; hackers can use your IP address to request your personal information from your Internet service provider, they can track your Internet use, seeking vulnerabilities in your habits and behaviors that can be used against you in the future.

To prevent anyone from tracking your Internet use and collecting your sensitive passwords, contact information and credit details you can hide your IP address while you are online. There is software available, both by download and to buy, that guarantees to hide and remove all traces of your Internet activity and the history of all your browsing habits. Privacy software can also protect you in a variety of other ways including any passwords or credit card information that you have entered online, communications that you have engaged in by instant messaging and other peer to peer logs, the contents of your media player downloads, and recently launched software and email applications.

Records of websites that you visit are stored on your computer and might put your privacy at greater risk. For personal or professional reasons, it might be in your interest to clear your browsing history, and it is easy to do so. Beyond securing your privacy from anyone who might be able to access your computer in person, erasing your Internet history also protects you from the threat of hackers gaining access to the passwords or account information that you have entered online.

If you use Internet Explorer as your web browser, first select the Tools Menu and then Internet Options. In the Internet Options menu, choose Clear History and then Yes to confirm.

If you use Firefox, start in your Tools Menu and select Clear Private Data. This menu will give you the option to erase your browsing history, click on all the boxes to delete everything. Next, select Clear Private Data Now to confirm and execute the command.

 As you have likely already considered, there are a number of reasons why someone might want to gain access to your computer system including stealing your credit information or identifying information like birth date and Social Security Number or viewing your web browsing history and behaviors. As well, it is possible to use victim computers as routers for illegal or unsolicited material such as spyware, adware, spam, and viruses.

A hacker is widely known as someone with superior computer programming skills. Hacking can be done for good or for evil. White hat hackers are the good guys, and generally put their skills towards strengthening security software and vulnerabilities in operating systems; black hat hackers are those who have gone over to the dark side and use their powers to their own advantage.

There are a number of ways that a hacker or Internet vandal can gain access to your computer, most often by taking advantage of a weakness in the system’s security. To find a vulnerable system, hackers use a remote device to contact either one target computer repeatedly, or a large number of computers at random, to find a connection from their modem to the modem of the target. Computers that are run with constant connections like high speed DSL are scanned by IP address until a vulnerability and connection can be found. The use of a router acts as a firewall, skewing the IP address, and reduces risk of connection.

Somewhat ironically, the scanning devices and modem searches that hackers use to find and infiltrate vulnerable systems are available online for download. Other similar programs that hackers use to access sensitive information can even read information as it is being sent between systems, from one computer to another. While hackers are rarely sensitive to the people whose computers they raid, they are generous with each other and post the IP addresses of computers that are either vulnerable to attack or have been ‘backdoored’ by a trojan and are open for hacking. Once a trojan is opened on a computer, usually by an email attachment or other download that the user unknowingly accepts, the malicious code establishes a ‘backdoor’ through which the hacker, or potentially hackers, can get into the system, all without the users knowledge.

Depending on the operating system, hackers then seek out known weaknesses. Some weaknesses are insecure systems that do not require passwords to access system preferences and administrative controls, or security software without the latest updates and patches that will not detect or identify a new worm or virus. Once in the system, the hackers can create administrative accounts and use the computer by remote access without detection.

Another type of hack intends to take control of as many computers as possible and use them collectively to launch a destructive attack, like a virus, through the Internet. By connecting to enough computers, the hacker can issue a virus through them simultaneously with one command. Ensuring that you keep both your operating system and your security program up to date with the latest updates and patches reduces your risk of being a target of hackers.