When your computer is connected to the Internet, not only can your PC access other computers online, but other computers can also access your PC. Unless you take precautions, malicious hackers can access your PC and steal important data, delete files and folders, or use your computer (via remote control) to attack other computers via remote control. This is true whether you use an always-on broadband Internet connection or a dial-up connection.
There are several different ways that your PC can be attacked. These different types of attacks — more accurately called intrusions — include the following:
Data theft. In this type of intrusion, the attacker steals valuable data stored on your system, for example, user names, passwords, credit card numbers, back account numbers, and potentially other valuable data stored on your computer.
Data destruction. This type of intrusion is very destructive, because the attacker gains access to your computer system and starts deleting things. The attacker uses this type of intrusion to delete files, typically data files, program files, and even the system files necessary to keep your computer up and running.
Denial of service. A denial of service attack is designed to crash your system, typically by inundating it with hundreds and thousands of emails and other forms of electronic requests. As your system receives more and more of these requests, it begins to slow down progressively, then crawls to a halt and may possibly crash.
Hijacking. Many attackers want to use your PC to do harm to other computer systems or websites. In a hijacking attack, the attacker secretly installs software on your PC, without your knowledge, allowing your PC and other similarly hijacked PCs under the attacker's control to be operated remotely. The attacker can use your PC, which is now under his control, and thousands of other "zombie" computers, to initiate a larger attack on other unsuspecting systems.
Active Security Monitor detects a broad set of firewall programs (click here to see a complete list). Please note that it may take 30-60 minutes on certain occasions for Active Security Monitor to properly report the firewall status on your PC.