Another Day With My PC

If you’re in the habit of using your Web cam as a mirror (through the Web cam window, of course), this worrying piece of fact might encourage you to go back to the more traditional way of looking at your reflection.

PC security analysts have confirmed that it is possible for a third person to take control of your camera and see everything that it’s focused on. While this fact may seem quite far-fetched, it isn’t exactly a scene taken out of Star Wars or Star Trek.

As Long as it’s Connected

Many harbor the misconception that hackers cannot access the peripherals that are appended on a PC. Indeed, many malicious attacks mainly centers on taking over one’s unit by injecting various forms of malware into the hard drive or altering the system registry so that the operating system would perform functions or instructions that could seriously compromise the performance of the system.

The erroneous perception may seem illogical, considering that a device attached to the PC is very much a part of the PC. Hence, one should not be surprised if a college geek could print out his report on his dean’s printer located a few buildings away from his dormitory. Peripherals are the limbs of a computer. Hence, if you’re able to control central nervous system of a PC, then every device that is connected to it is at your every beck and call.

Building Gates

Securing your system from external threats is not that difficult. The task of barricading your PC with barbed wires is easier than trying to form a commando unit of malware for the purpose of attacking a computer. This is probably the reason why many are not aware of the possibility that their Web cam could very well become another man’s eye. Spy software such as those which exploit Web cams are easily crushed by antivirus and anti-spyware software. Hence, malicious program authors don’t devote that much time and attention in getting themselves a third eye.

Isolating the Problem

For those who are not comfortable in entrusting their privacy to security suites, the easiest way of protecting your PCs from external threats is by disconnecting it from the outside world. An isolated PC is as safe and secure as a house built on top of the moon. However, this drastic approach to PC security is impractical and unproductive. Unless you intend your computer to be just a mere household furniture for display, it wouldn’t be wise to divorce it from the rest of the world.

Everybody should know by now that PCs are portals to every perceivable nook around the globe, and maybe even beyond. To shut it out by castrating the LAN port or wireless Internet antenna would be a sin that is too unforgivable in an era where information is vital and interdependence is necessary for survival. The malware problem that everybody’s experiencing is not that insurmountable. In fact, the odds are against those who are trying to barge through the gates that we’ve set up against them. Just make sure that you have a registry cleaner and antivirus installed in your system. These sentinels are usually enough to thwart any attack that could compromise your PCs security and privacy.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 12:01 am and is filed under General . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.