Internet

Surfing the internet has become one of the most common new technological pastimes of the 21st century. Computer access to the global network can bring a person in touch with vast amounts of information and can put people in touch with others around the world. Unfortunately, some of those people have ill intent.

Beyond those whose contact is sought out over the internet there are others with the technical knowledge to seek out computers connected to the net and take control of them. While many such "hackers" (or "crackers" as malicious computer users are increasingly being called) in the past have been teenagers or bored technology whizzes looking to test their skills, security experts are reporting that these days financial gain is increasingly a motive.

Zombies

Today's Black Hat Hackers, or crackers, take over networks of "zombie" computers and use them to broadcast large numbers of spam email or launch cyber attacks against corporate web sites. This use of personal computers is in fact a form of identity theft since a person's computer, with their individual internet "signature," is being put to a purpose of which the owner has no knowledge.

A computer also can be tricked into sending out a person's personal information stored on it through this method. As some malicious mass emailers are finding it more and more difficult to find legitimate means of bypassing filters designed to weed out such spam, they are willing to pay crackers a goodly sum to infect masses of unsuspecting computers.

Phishing

Another increasingly common and dangerous method used to steal consumer identities through the internet is by a method called "phishing." One such phishing ploy is to send computer users a message supposedly from a trusted source, such as from the "fraud" division of their Internet Service Provider (ISP) or a shopping site like eBay, claiming someone has tried to break into their account.

The scams then ask the user to visit the website link they provide and confirm their account or credit card information. While the site might look legitimate, it is a phony, and any information supplied there falls directly into the hands of thieves. The best advice here is never to provide such information regardless of how legitimate the request appears. Legitimate sources will never ask for or even allow such information to be sent over the net. If one has a question about an account, go to the company's site independently and find a customer service telephone number to check the claim.