Nice definition of a hacker, I think it is necessary to clarify what is the difference between that and a simple lamer or script kiddies.
But you know, there aren't really a definition for this term, because it existed before the advent of computers.
Basically, we could say that a hacker is someone that love to tweak a system to better know it. So for example a physician that loves his work is actually a hacker because he is doing his job by passion.
But there are not always "white hat" hackers on the net, there are too "black hats" and these are far more dangerous than the lamers and script kiddies, because they have far more knowledge and control. Since no system in 100% secure, there is no way to get around that, but with some security rules you can avoid many problems. I saw that you should use always the same password, this is true, but you can't use each time a new password even if it is the best solution. I advise you to use some 3 or 4 different password with different length and structure that you would always remember depending on the type of content you need to secure.
Ex: You have 3 password: the 1st is really little, like 6 char, the second is 9 char and the last 14 char. When you must register for a forum, you use the first password, it doesn't matter if someone steal your account, you can ask the administrator, and anyway it's not really a matter of life. For a game like Silkroad, you use the 2nd password (or the 3rd if you really want), because it's more secure. But when you must secure your computer or really crypted important informations, you use the 3rd password. At the beginning even 3 passwords would be really efficient, and later you will certainly create others when you will have your first passwords in mind.
And don't forget that a good password is more than 8 char (5 char password can be cracked in one day, 6 char in 1 week, 7 char in one month, 8 char in some months and 9 some years), with alphanumeric characters (but create some passwords without alphanumeric terms because some website or programs don't accept these). You should not use a suite of complete words, but instead mix them (ex: your mother's name is Anna, your father's George and your birthdate 17/02/1967, don't create a password like annageorge670217, it will be easily discovered, but instead try georanna1702ge67, this will be a little bit harder
).
If you need some computer software protections but don't have a penny to give, then here is a list of effective softwares that you can use for your personal needs (not for commercial, then you must buy a licence):
Free antivirus: Antivir Classic Edition (free-av.com), AVG Free Edition, Avast Free Edition.
Free firewalls: ZoneAlarm, KerioPersonalFirewall.
Free anti-spyware: Spybot, Ad-Aware.
Free filewall: ProcessGuard from DiamondCS.
Other utilities: Advanced Process Manipulation & DelLater from DiamondCS, MalWhere (to know if a process maybe is a virus or not, really useful for neophytes and advanced users).
That's all =) There are more free and nice softwares out there like, some are outdated, others still in development (like ClamAV or WinPooch) so try a little search on Google for more informations
Cya!
then watch the frustration.
