When Vigilance is Needed!

 

In spite of having a good security system on our computer, Al and I have been getting an increasing number of suspicious emails lately. This isn’t only our problem. Imposters are gaining access to many businesses, obtaining customers’ email addresses and other personal information.

 The latest notice appeared to be from our trusted email service. It was a notification that we owed a certain amount and could pay it by going to a specified link.

Al immediately suspected that the email was fraudulent because he had already paid the monthly fee, which happened to be a different amount! He sent the fake overdue notice to our email provider, hoping to alert the company.

 Prior to that, we had received a fraudulent email that was successful in convincing us to let an unauthorized person gain access to the computer. As it turned out, the company that was supposed to be providing security to protect computers against such “hackers” had itself been hacked!

The fraudulent email connected us with someone supposedly from the security company over the telephone, who wanted to assist us with a “problem.” Once he was given remote access to the computer, the screen went completely dark and the cursor began moving around the screen randomly.

It was alarming, enough so that we decided to immediately end the call and shut down the computer. I felt like we were helplessly watching a burglary take place in our home while away on vacation. The next time the computer was turned on, the screen again went black, the cursor moving randomly around the screen.

 “What were the hackers doing?” we wondered, horrified.

Al packed up the tower and took it to a local computer shop. The computer expert   figured out the problem when he saw the black screen and the roving cursor: the hacker had installed a “remote assist” program that allowed him access into our computer whenever the power was turned on.

Once removed, everything was okay…except, the hacker had investigated information about our credit union, one credit card and my social media page. This necessitated changing passwords, accounts and finding a more reliable security company.

It turned out that none of our funds had been stolen; however, a few weeks later we received two Target gift cards, earned from bonus points on one of our credit cards. However, since neither of us had ordered the gift cards, the credit card company had to be contacted and the problem resolved.    

What a headache! If only we had known! The hacking experience reminded me of what can happen if we allow Satan, the tempter, access by listening to his lies and giving in to his temptations. He doesn’t just want access, he wants control!

Before the religious leaders of the Jews came to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, he took Peter, James and John aside. Jesus told them to “watch and pray,” realizing that their faith was soon to be tested as it never had been tested before.

Jesus had previously told Simon Peter that Satan wanted to test them. He said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32) But Simon Peter insisted that he would follow Jesus, even to death.

That night when Jesus was arrested, the disciples were terrified and fled. Later when Simon Peter was questioned, he feared for his life and vehemently denied even knowing Jesus.

Well, he was just like us…vulnerable to fear and Satan’s attack. Had Peter, James and John stayed awake, watching and praying, perhaps things would have been different. Jesus knew the weaknesses of his followers, just as he knows our weaknesses. He realizes that although we might be willing to follow him whole-heartedly, we often fall prey to fear or to things that tempt us to stray from him.

Being alert and prayerful—good advice from Jesus on avoiding Satan’s schemes. Why let him gain access to your body, mind and soul? Satan’s goal is to kill, steal and destroy!

May we always stay close to Jesus. Why not? He loves us!

 

“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,’ he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” Mark 14:37-38 NIV