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Technology is one of those things that a lot of country folk just don't understand.  If you use your computer to send e-mail, browse the Internet for sales, auction prices, and other information, or maybe you even manage your herd or finances with your computer, you need to understand some basics on how to protect your computer from bad things.  Just like your crops and your herds have things that are dangerous to them that live in their environment, your computer has the same types of threats.  With proper "vaccination" and prevention, you can make your computer an important part of your farm.   Even though the graphic above is meant to be somewhat humorous, it demonstrates some of the evils that live in the same environment in which your computer operates.  Here are some explanations even us country folk can understand!

Computer Viruses 

A virus that gives us a cold or makes our cows sick is a small organism that makes our systems react differently that what we are used to.  We catch a cold, our nose runs, we cough, we sneeze, and just don't run at peek performance.  The same is true of a computer virus.  It is a small electronic organism that makes our computer operate at less than peek performance.  Just like the common cold, we can help prevent out exposure to these pesky bugs.  Unlike the common cold, we also cure our computers when they get infected.  This is done by Anti Virus software.  As each virus has its own unique "fingerprint"  this computer detective scans your files and compares the fingerprint from each file to the the "Most Wanted" List.  Those files that are infected are either vaccinated, quarantined, or deleted so they cannot pass the infection along.

Click here to learn how to keep your computer healthy

Computer Hackers

We here a lot about hackers on the news and from those teenagers that sold us our computers at the Wal Mart.  But what do they really do?  They don't physically cut into our computers with a hacksaw, but the techniques they use are just as effective and allow them to "open" your computer, gain access to the information on your computer.  When you use the Internet or receive e-mail, your computer is connected to a  large network that lets you read the code on another computer so you can view a web page.  This same connection lets a hacker use special tools to see the code (information) on your computer.  But never fear, The Hobby Farmer is here.  We can help you keep hackers off the porch and out of your computer.

Click here to learn how to keep your computer healthy

Trojan Horses

The Greeks used the original Trojan Horse to get into Troy without the Trojans knowledge and then attacked when the Trojans least expected it. A Trojan Horse on your computer acts in much the same way.  You "invite" it in by clicking on an attachment in an e-mail, or by running a program from the Internet, or installing a game or screen-saver that you download from an un-trusted site.  Alas, we can help prevent these unconventional assaults.

Click here to learn how to keep your computer healthy

Spyware

Spyware is used to monitor the web sites you visit, record your passwords, and in general, give people more information about you then they should have.  It was originally developed by Internet marketers to record your personal information through the sites you visit and then market similar products to you. (If spyware recorded that you visit Carhart.com, they sell this information to Wrangler, Levi's and other work clothes companies who in turn send you marketing e-mails, paper mailings. see SPAM.)   Now, this technology to record your personal information is used for bad things by bad people and they may try to steal your personal information like Social Security Number, passwords, bank account information and the like.  We can keep them out however and let you keep being you and using your computer to make country living more enjoyable.

Click here to learn how to keep your computer healthy

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