IP address

[seal!]

If somebody gets hold of your IP address, how would they use it to hack your computer?

[quickthinker]

They would scan up and down the ports at that IP address looking for an open port which will accept connections.

Once they found one (depending on the expecting protocol for the listening program) They would send a payload of either a Trojan or Worm virus program.

Another way is to reverse lookup the IP to get the domain and send you an email with a payload attached, usually in the form of a script.

If you are on the internet and sat behind a router (with no Local LAN DMZ, NAT enabled, No Port Forwarding) then you have nothing to worry about.

Ditch the USB Modems
Get a router !,

Does nobody listen !!!!!!

Internal & USB ADSL / NTL Modems should come with a warning, 'harmful to novices'.