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Many thanks. A friend told me that adware/spyware could track and criminally exploit my log on information for financial accounts, bank accounts, credit card accounts. I told him he was dead wrong.

I may be more vulnerable with my broadband connect and constant IP address. What are the greatest home computer invasion threats that find and capture your passwords/log-ons for financial services? To steal from you? Thanks to all who can fill me in.

My opinion is that the real threats come internally (i.e. leaving your password written down and someone reads it). It is tough to crack a very secure password and I have yet to meet someone who has had their financial services stolen over a network. I know it happens but I think the threat is way overblown.

Make sure you make cryptic and hard to break passwords such as $45thRy6. Much harder to break, especially with systems that limit attempts.

Once an executable program is installed on your system and running it has access to everything you type and do on your computer if the programmer wants it to.

Spyware can operate at virtually any level - from simply reporting back what music you listen to on the Web to passwords used for home banking and beyond.

You are basically trusting the programmer to not log these things and report back what it finds to the black hole known as the Internet.

Your friend is basically right.

Make sure you keep current on all MS security patches and ideally use a firewall. Especially with a broadband connection.

The worst thing about a static IP is once your IP address is known, Web sites can track what you do and who you are. Every Email you send has your IP in the header. So once known they can then lookup your Email address based soley on your IP address when you visit a site. They can then target SPAM that matches what you do on the Web (among other things).