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The idea of being hacked is very scary. TV shows all kinds of hackers breaking into major government sites instantly. But is this how real hacking works? Can your neighbor hack you? Is this a real problem or just something to scare you?

Hacking takes more dedication than your ex-flatmate has to give

There are no unenpolyed hackers. If you are that good you have a choice of legitimate jobs in cybersecurity. This is not the kind of thing that can be done in your spare time because you like video games.

The number of people who bring in their computers thinking that their neighbor who is a plumber hacked their computer over a dispute over the condition of the fence is staggering. While plumbers can be very smart they are often too busy working to take the time needed to educate themselves on the latest hacking tech.

Hacking is a skill that takes years to develop! Specialized equipment and a ton of education. While it is possible to take a night class to learn these skills it is not something that anyone is going to do lightly.

Lions don’t hunt mice

Another thing to consider is that most of the high-end hackers are either employed as cybersecurity professionals or will be too busy trying to find a big payout before the big companies produce a software update that fixes the flaw in security.

This means they will not be spending time trying to hack you over a dispute over the condition of your fence. There is just too much to risk. Why waste your time with a little hack when you can go for the big time?

Hacks are sneaky, They will not change your Candy Crush icon

Imagine spending years in higher education, spending months coding the latest software. Having the ability to cause some serious havoc on vast networks … so why would you risk getting caught, and going to jail to change someone’s candy crush icon?

Hackers are either sneaky or so obvious you can’t mistake them for anything else. Hackers do not prevent you from watching YouTube. They don’t add minor software glitches to your computer. It defeats the purpose because you would realize something is wrong and take it in to be fixed.

If a hacker was to really get into your computer they would either make it totally unusable or you would never know they are there without being a hacker yourself

Software updates fix security holes

If you are one of those people who think that software updates will break your computer think again. While it is possible for this to happen it is very rare, otherwise companies like Microsoft would not exist. If you think you are angry because your $1000 computer will not reboot imagine what would happen for a Billion Dollar company if all their computers went down at the same time?

Software updates are important because someone found a hole in security. (Some hackers get paid by the maker of the software to fix the hole…. there is a LOT more money in this than hacking you)

When a software company delivers software updates a hacker who is using the exploit that is fixed in the update has to start over from scratch. (Weeks if not months of work down the drain)

Change your password

This always makes me very unpopular. If your fear of changing your password is stronger than your fear of being hacked then there is a good chance the hacker can just guess your password.

When people first learn how to hack computers the first thing they teach you is that people love to use the same password for everything. This means that most hackers would not need to hack you … they just need to look up your old passwords and use them… Uh oh!

But is it possible you have been hacked?

Yes, it is. Not likely but there is always the chance. In most of the cases that I have seen where someone actually has access to your computer or accounts it is not because of …

• Someone you know has had physical access to your computer and installed something when you were not looking.
• You have an easy password to figure out (something closely related to an old password)
• You installed software onto your computer that gives someone remote control of your system.

In every one of these cases the person who has access got it because of something you have done. While that does not make it right and you honestly are not to blame. It does mean the fix is an easy one.

Change your passwords and have your computer checked.

How can you defend yourself against hackers?

If you are really concerned about being hacked then you need to do a few things.

1. Change all your passwords so they are all different and complex, No names, dates, or words in any language.. Random like “Gdnted%@sales” Yes we know it sucks and most people can’t remember passwords. Find a system to keep track of all of them like Bitwarden or write them down.
2. Run software updates all the time. Hackers will need to be faster than Microsoft, Apple and Google to hack you.
3. Never give your passwords to anyone
4. If you have a situation where someone you used to trust is no longer trustworthy change all your passwords.
5. Never give remote access to your computer to anyone for any reason.