I figured we were closer to the same page than it looked from your first comment, but I had to call out the wording of it for the sake of clarification.

I agree - the most troubling thing about this is that it seems like anyone could break into your computer (I am not going to refer to this stuff as 'hacking' because I see it as an insult to people who actually have the talent to hack) and worse, no one seems to expect it. People do need to be made as aware of the security threats to their computers as they are of the security threats to their homes. If we got more articles like this on major news networks, people might begin to understand the appropriate level of paranoia, self-defense, and even education about computers. What we have today is that the majority of users are either blindly trusting or blindly fearful of these magic boxes on their desks or their laps.

Long story short: To me, it seems the greatest tool to keep your computer safe is education and awareness. After reading this article, I'm sure many of us will guard our computers much more carefully. Now if we can get it published in the New York Times, maybe the people who don't necessarily read Ars Technica can get the same kinds of benefits. Would-be intruders will always up the ante in the security arms race, but good security companies can at least give users a fighting chance. And even if you aren't going to take more steps to defend yourself, you at least know the risks you're taking and take steps to minimize the damage of an intrusion.