If your computer is a fortress, hackers are the interlopers with pointy metal hats who charge the gate, scale the walls, or use stolen keys to get inside. Their mission? To steal your crown jewels or carve graffiti on the walls, such as “The king is a weenie.” In this sample chapter Andy Walker tells you why they want access to your computer, how they try to gain access to it, and what you stand to lose if they do. There’s also a really exciting section on how to stop them and what to do if one of them succeeds. It’s like a medieval video game, but scarily, it’s real.

In this chapter

* What Is a Hacker?
* When Is a Hacker a Cracker?
* How Do Hackers Sneak into Your Computer?
* What Damage Can Hackers Do?
* What Is a Software Firewall?
* Is the Windows Firewall Any Good?
* Is a Hardware Firewall Better?
* I’m Under Attack! What to Do If You’ve Been Hacked and Cracked
* Batten down the Hatches—10-Minute Anti-Hacker Tactics
* Wall off the World—Blockade Your Computer in an Afternoon

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