While 46 year-old CA resident Ava Morrison admittedly "doesn't know much" about computers, she does know one thing: she's "pretty scared" of hackers.
Hackers, individuals who modify computer files secretly and without the consent of the owner, have always been a threat to the common computer user. But while Morrison does fear them, she does have a tool to combat them: knowledge.
"I know that I may not be Bill Gates when it comes to computers," Morrison, a secretary at a nearby dentist's office, told us. "But I do happen to know a few things about hackers. After all, that's the only way to protect yourself. If you aren't aware, you're all the more vulnerable."
Morrison explained that she knows full well what hackers are capable of, and consequently, can take some measures of prevention.
"...for example, contrary to what a lot of people think, mean-spirited hackers can get into your computer whether you have the internet or not," she elaborated. "All they have to do is access your motherboard through the power outlets. So I make sure to unplug my system every time I'm done playing solitaire."
In addition, Morrison said, hackers can cause your computer speakers to explode, send electrical surges through your household via the computer, and even "slow down your main processor chip speed".
"All they have to do is go through a URL," the secretary revealed. "Then, a few clicks of the mouse, and your computer moves like a snail. This has even happened to me a few times, and right in the middle when I was doing a whole bunch of things at once, too. It was a real nuisance. Luckily, when that happens, you can rapidly turn your computer on and off for a minute or so, and it clears it right up."
When asked how she became privy to all this information, Morrison said she simply had "thought about it with a little common sense".
"I know some of the tech talk, like 'modems' and 'motherboard' can be confusing at first, and like I said before, I'm still pretty computer illiterate. But once I stopped being afraid and started examining my computer and really thinking about it, it became clear what hackers can really do."
In fact, according to Morrison's coworkers, she has become so knowledgeable on the subject of hackers that they often come to her for advice.
"I found a window open on my computer the other day that had pornographic material in it," coworker Amanda Toore said. "I just knew that it couldn't have been my little Andrew -- he's only 14 and everything -- so I asked Ava. She listened patiently, and then said, very wisely, 'Hackers, Amanda. Hackers. They downloaded pornographic MP3 files onto your floppy drive using Napster.' It was so nice to talk to someone who knew."
Morrison says though she's picking up some computer knowledge as she goes, she still considers herself to be just an average user.
"I don't have the slightest clue how to work my CD drive," Morrison said laughingly. "I just know the basics, and I think that's enough to keep my family safe."
Hackers, individuals who modify computer files secretly and without the consent of the owner, have always been a threat to the common computer user. But while Morrison does fear them, she does have a tool to combat them: knowledge.
"I know that I may not be Bill Gates when it comes to computers," Morrison, a secretary at a nearby dentist's office, told us. "But I do happen to know a few things about hackers. After all, that's the only way to protect yourself. If you aren't aware, you're all the more vulnerable."
Morrison explained that she knows full well what hackers are capable of, and consequently, can take some measures of prevention.
"...for example, contrary to what a lot of people think, mean-spirited hackers can get into your computer whether you have the internet or not," she elaborated. "All they have to do is access your motherboard through the power outlets. So I make sure to unplug my system every time I'm done playing solitaire."
In addition, Morrison said, hackers can cause your computer speakers to explode, send electrical surges through your household via the computer, and even "slow down your main processor chip speed".
"All they have to do is go through a URL," the secretary revealed. "Then, a few clicks of the mouse, and your computer moves like a snail. This has even happened to me a few times, and right in the middle when I was doing a whole bunch of things at once, too. It was a real nuisance. Luckily, when that happens, you can rapidly turn your computer on and off for a minute or so, and it clears it right up."
When asked how she became privy to all this information, Morrison said she simply had "thought about it with a little common sense".
"I know some of the tech talk, like 'modems' and 'motherboard' can be confusing at first, and like I said before, I'm still pretty computer illiterate. But once I stopped being afraid and started examining my computer and really thinking about it, it became clear what hackers can really do."
In fact, according to Morrison's coworkers, she has become so knowledgeable on the subject of hackers that they often come to her for advice.
"I found a window open on my computer the other day that had pornographic material in it," coworker Amanda Toore said. "I just knew that it couldn't have been my little Andrew -- he's only 14 and everything -- so I asked Ava. She listened patiently, and then said, very wisely, 'Hackers, Amanda. Hackers. They downloaded pornographic MP3 files onto your floppy drive using Napster.' It was so nice to talk to someone who knew."
Morrison says though she's picking up some computer knowledge as she goes, she still considers herself to be just an average user.
"I don't have the slightest clue how to work my CD drive," Morrison said laughingly. "I just know the basics, and I think that's enough to keep my family safe."
damn wish I knew that much about computers 
