Internet

The Internet was starting in 1969. It started from local area network. Let me explain what is local area network. Computers connected with each other in house or company makes local area network. On the other hand wide are network is the combination of countless LANs, wide area networks and individual machine around the world. All computers in the world when connected together make a network, which is known as Internet. These computers are connected through different ways via ISPs. Let me explain what is an ISP those companies who help these computer users to connect to each other are called Internet service providers. These ISPs offer two types of connections. One is called slow speed or dialup and the other is known as high speed. Dialup gives a maximum speed of 56 kbps (kilo bytes per second). High speed connections starts from 56kps and go behind 13mps (mega bit per second). ISPs charge computer users different amounts for monthly packages, for this service.

Suppose you have Internet service setup on your computer and you turn on it on, you are already on Internet. Just like in real world everybody has a name, on Internet every computer has a unique number, which is called IP (Internet Protocol) address. This number can be used to identify a computer. So if a computer in one part of the world wants to talk to another computer in the other part of the world, that machine will be using this number to talk to the other computer. That is how these computers and computer users can communicate with each other. If someone knows a computer number i.e. the IP address then he or she can connect to any computer (using the right tools) specially if that computer is weak on security.

Hackers

Those computer users who gain unauthorized access to other people computers are called hackers. This is possible if the target computer is weak on security and the IP for the said computer is available. The question is how they get a computer’s number i.e. IP address? Here are different possible ways of stealing or gaining access to IP address of a machine. Generally talking if someone has access to a computer then they can easily get it by punching a few simple commands. The IP address can be found during a chatting session. Generally your computer number can also be accessed when you visit a website. This is done through powerful tools that website owners use on their sites. This may not happen in all cases.

Hackers use different programs to scan other people computers to get the computer number. In that case they never know whose computer number they are getting. In such cases the target computers are used for advertisements or identity theft. Let me explain how identity theft happens. A computer is a powerful tool in our life. We use it for checking emails, buy or sell items online; do our banking, schoolwork and many other daily life activities. All these activities are done through user id and password and that is what hackers are looking for. After they get the unique IP number, they download programs in other people computers. One bad fact about hacking is, these hackers can be local and be sitting in other part of the world. Hackers can be blocked through different types of technologies i.e. hardware and software. In both cases there is one main idea behind it and that idea is called firewall. A firewall is like a security guard on the entrance of a building. It stops all unauthorized access to computer. Rules are setup on fire walled computers to allow or deny access through local are and wide area network.