This comic is from the official web site of Garfield.

Science and Technology.

Hunting the Hackers

How to Keep From Getting Hacked. If you're connected to the Internet, you're vulnerable to intruders. But there are ways to keep your data safe. 5.Use the most up-to-date version of your Web browser, e-mail software and other programs. 6.Use a security program that gives you control over " cookies" that send information beck to Web sites 1.Use antivirus software and update it often to keep destructive programs off your computer. 2.Don't allow online merchants to store your credit-card information for future purchases. 3.Use a hard-to-guess password that contains a mix of numbers and letters, and change it frequently. 4.Use different passwords for different Web sites and applications to keep hackers guessing. CORNER 7.Secure the hardware. 8.Install firwall software to screen traffic if you use DSL or a cable modem to connect to the Net. HELL WEEK for e-comerce began at just about late time Febuary this year. Pacific, the btisk pace of the Yahoo portal- a Gladstone bag of digital services including e-mail, news, fantasy sports leagues and a renowned Web directory- slowed precipitously. Net surfers accustomed to an average page-loading time of 1.7 seconds were confronted by an annoying six-second World Wide Web. Almost half of those attempting to jack into the Web's second most-popular site were finding nothing but error messages. Personal computers today are very often insecure. PCs were not designed with secure network use in mind Fortunately, more sescure Net access appliances and Net-enabled cell phones are coming soon. These "personal communicators" will be far more secure: they can use tamper-resistant identity chips, protected by a password or by biometrics, and will be suitable places for keeping digital money. Be more cleaver Be more careful One of the most critical unsung problems is the chronic lack of talented people to keep Internet systems innoculated. The "zombie" computers that were hijacked to flood victims contained well-known security flaws for which fixes were readily available, security expers say. Prying hackers employ esay-to-use software tools to scan the network so they can find the weaknesses that site operators haven't plugged. The shame of it all: Hackers could get legitimate jobs these days as easilly as dot-com companies can get venture-capital funding. The author gloria is the commander to block the hackers. Your occupation: What the qualities do you think that make the Net work leave it vulnerable? Infrastructure Software Privacy The Talent Gap User ID None of the above! In a flash, some of the giants of e-commerce were shut down by a torrent of bits sent by hostile invaders. The attacks were a wake-up call to the fragility of the Net and kicked off a worldwide dragnet in search of the cyberperps. Sure, crime may pay --but it doesn't include stock options.