There are a large number of security threats to a personal computer. These security threats are harmful because if successfully activated, an attacker can access personal information and use it to potentially harm you or your computer. These attacks can also potentially slow down your personal computer and even cause it to crash. When a computer crashes and the information is not backed up elsewhere, you will not be able to recover your data. There are techniques that attackers use to gain access to information on your system. Connecting a personal computer to the Internet allows other people to use your computer and share your information. Everyone who uses the Internet should take steps to protect their computers, as well as their private and financial information, from possible compromise. There are hackers who have the knowledge and ability to access other people's computers. These attacks can be executed to break into your computer via the Internet and steal your personal information. Security threats come from people who deliberately create them. These people are called hackers. Hackers can create security threats and viruses. Most hackers are computer programmers who use their knowledge of security threats and malware to victimize others by breaking into their systems in order to steal or destroy information. This is called cyberterrorism. Using the Internet makes a computer vulnerable to these hackers and predators. Hackers create things like computer virus threats, spyware, phishing, worms, rootkits, zombies, and mousetrap pings. Among all these computer security threats, the majority are computer viruses. A virus is a program that modifies the way a computer functions. A virus can replicate and execute because of the... middle of paper ...... that which uses a computer has a certain type of computer security responsibility that we need to be aware of to protect our information from theft. There are many websites and publications available to educate users on how to protect their information from intrusions and how to better protect their computers from being slowed down by viruses and spyware. Following a good maintenance plan can ensure that your computer is running at optimal speed as well as checking and quarantining any possible virus infections.References1) Computer Security Threats. Retrieved from http://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer/articles/computer-security-threats2) Potter, Ned, September 3, 2009, Top 10 Computer Viruses and Worms, retrieved August 3, 2013 from http:/ / abcnews.go.com/Technology/top-computer-viruses-worms-internet-history/story?id=8480794