Stealing password information is not as hard as you think it might be. Any teenager looking for information on how to hack emails can now do so without difficulty. Even more frightening is the proliferation of malicious software, or malware, which invades your computer system to steal important information. According to a report released this year by McAfee, password-stealing Trojans have increased by up to 400% in the past year alone.

Malware like Trojans, which are capable of stealing password information, operate by logging keystrokes and record your passwords. In 2008, 400,000 variants of the virus have been detected compared to 100,000 in 2007. The information is indeed quite alarming. Malicious software like this gets into our PC systems when we log in to websites on the Internet that do not have safe content. McAfee further added that techniques to steal personal data have become more complicated than before.

Stealing password information has increased alongside the growing popularity of online multi-player games and online businesses. Writers of malware have somehow managed to make the transmission and the destination of stolen data more secure and more difficult to track. What is even scarier is that malware have posed a serious threat to online banking with more reports about the theft of bank account details.

Computer crime researchers suggest creating unpredictable passwords and changing them from time to time. Also, computer users should never ignore the basic rules of computer security. It is found that hackers are given a pretty easy time stealing passwords as people tend to use their own names or their partner's names for passwords. Some use their pet's names or a memorable date. All hackers need to do sometimes is to obtain some personal information to know a person's log-in details.

It is also important to keep our computers protected from malware and other viruses. The risk is greater if you or members of your family spend a huge amount of time online. Make sure you use an anti-virus program, which you should update regularly. Refrain from visiting dubious websites and clear out your system on a regular business. For a reasonable fee, you can try purchasing protection programs to weed out malware that may have already nested in your PC and block all pathways hackers may use to get into your network.