According to 60 Minutes, in an Internet-age, virtual threats may be in our future within the next 10 to 20 years.

This is because Internet hackers are creating worms, which sit on the Internet, hidden in cyberspace, waiting for people to give them instructions.

Simply opening an email may activate these viruses. All it takes is a click on a link, and then an Internet hacker has invaded. The computer screen matches a computer on the other side of the world.

Conflicker is the most dangerous worm spreading through the Internet and has infected millions of computers. However, it’s just sitting there. Waiting. Its creators have not activated it yet. 60 Minutes reported that as many as 10 million computers may have this virus.

With a single click, Conflicker can hack into accounts. It can access someone’s Facebook page. It can see bank records and transfer funds.

The hacker follows every move of the Internet user, extracting all their usernames and passwords. Personal information is jeopardized.

Internet users could always eliminate online banking, but this problem would still persist. The only way to stop these Internet hackers is to lock them out of accounts.

In fact, as virus protection improves, the Internet is producing more viruses throughout the world. Millions of computers are infected and lose valuable data.

However, the more a virus scan is run, the less likely a computer is to fall victim. This is because these spyware viruses are being deleted off the hard drive.

Conflicker has been sitting on the Internet for months, according to 60 Minutes. When the creators activate its effects, the data loss could be unbearable.

In this new technological era, cyber attacks are more common. However, they are sneakier and can cause more damage.

Personal files are lost. Identities and money are stolen. The computer hacker has heightened to the equivalent of stealing a wallet or stealing time spent.

They have no grasp on the amount of data that might be compromised.

If Conflicker is activated, this dangerous worm could be a cyber threat on many levels.

And we have to ask ourselves. Are we ready for this level of danger from technology? People always wait until ‘tomorrow’ to back up their files. Well, tomorrow might too late.

Jennifer Brown can be reached at 581-7942 or jebrown2@eiu.edu