What to Do When Your Computer Is Infected

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The sad truth is that most of us are underprepared when it comes to computer infections. Without the proper precautions in place, it’s only a matter of time before a computer virus or harmful malware take hold of your device. If this has happened to you, the most important thing you can do is not panic. While infections can be dangerous and should always be taken seriously, there are a number of steps you can take to remove the infection and prevent any serious long-term damage.

The Different Types of Computer Infections

Unfortunately, there exists a multitude of threats that pose a danger to your device and networks. While each threat is unique, they often fall into one of the three following categories:

1. Viruses infect machines via a compromised link, file or website, and can wreak havoc on your device. In order for them to spread from device to device via a carelessly shared link and/or insufficient antivirus protection.

2. Worms can have the same affect has a virus, but don’t rely on humans to spread. Instead, their programming enables them to spread and infect every device on the same network.

3. Malware can come in many forms including adware, spyware and ransomware. While each attack differs, they are all designed to monitor your actions and collect personal data. In the most nefarious cases, your personal data can be be stolen, held hostage and even sold online.

Warning Signs That Your Computer Is Infected

Although infections may not also be obvious, here are a few warning signs that may signify you have a computer virus or some form of malware running on your device:

  • Device is running slowly and/or frequently crashing
  • Your internet browser is being redirected to unknown websites
  • The hard drive space suddenly changes dramatically
  • Missing, altered or corrupted files
  • Unexpected pop-up windows that keep appearing
  • Random noises coming from the device
  • Unexpected mouse movements or keystrokes
  • You’re alerted to attempted network connections
  • Warnings from anti-virus and/or anti-malware software
  • Spam is being sent from your email and/or social media accounts

What To Do If Your Computer Is Infected

Install and Run Antivirus Software

Hopefully, you already have an up-to-date antivirus program. If you don’t, then download one immediately! There are two kinds of antivirus software: real-time and on demand. While both are capable of detecting and removing harmful computer viruses and malware, a real-time scanner autonomously performs system scans for in the background while you’re using your divide. An on-demand scanner, on the other hand, has to be manually activated every time you wish to scan your device.

Once you’rve installed an antivirus software (and confirmed that it’s running as it should be), check your device for any virus and/or malware infections by running a thorough scan of your device’s system. Antivirus programs often offer a variety of different scans, the most comprehensive of which is usually called a full system scan. While these scans may take several hours, in most cases you do not need to remain with your device for the duration.

Remove Any Suspicious Files and Programs

Once the scan is complete, review the findings. The antivirus program should alert you to any identified threats and recommend a course of action. Once you’ve undergone the recommended steps, run another scan to confirm whether or not the threat has been eliminated. In most cases, deleting or quarantining any malicious files and programs will resolve the issue. However, if the antivirus software is unable to remove the threat, then it’s time to call in a professional. The worst thing you can do is ignore the problem!

Isolate the Device

To prevent any further damage, you should disconnect your device from all wireless and wired networks, including the internet. Some infections cans use these connections to migrate, so any device connected to the same network as yours will be vulnerable to attack.

Reset Your Passwords

It’s better to be safe than sorry! You can avoid any unauthorised access to your accounts and online profiles by changing all of your passwords and log-in credentials immediately. Be sure to only use a device that’s free from infection to complete this step! You should also do this in level of priority, with workplace, financial and email accounts taking precedence. If you are still concerned about any potential data theft or fraud, contact these institutions directly and brief them on the situation. This way they can monitor your account for any suspicious activity.

Delete Any Sensitive Information

Any potentially sensitive information (ie. personal identification, professional documents, etc), delete them as soon as you can! It’s better to go through the potential hassle of replacing these documents than to have them stolen by a cyber criminal. Do not transfer these files onto a portable drive or cloud storage, as this could result in the infection spreading to other devices.

Keep Your Back-Ups Separate

By now you should be in the habit of regularly backing up your devices. However, if you don’t already have a backup copy of your data, do not try to make one while your device is infected (without consulting an IT professional first). By connecting your backup drive to an infected device, you’re putting any data and previous backups stored on there in jeopardy.

Have a Professional Take a Look

Let’s face it…we’re not all IT wizards. Sometimes, trying to solve the issues ourselves can do more harm than good. If you’re antivirus protection is unable to remove the infection or you find that the operating system, programs and/or date are compromised beyond repair, then you should contact a reputable IT support team. They’ll have the knowledge, experience and tools best equipped to tackle the issue and minimise any potential fallout.

How To Avoid Future Infections

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Adopting a proactive approach can prevent infections from occurring in the first place and save you untold money, time and mental stress. Here’s a few easy practices that can help keep your device infection-free:

  • Use a good antivirus software
  • Keep your software, apps, internet browser and operating system up-to-date
  • Thoroughly research apps and software, only download them from reputable sources 
  • Carefully read the permissions the apps and software ask for
  • Absolutely never click on any unverified links in electronic communications (emails, texts, etc) or on unfamiliar websites
  • Never open attachments in suspicious looking emails
  • Use a secure VPN connection when browsing the internet, especially when connecting to a public Wi-Fi
  • Don’t insert any unknown USBs, hard driver or disks into your device

Are You Infected? 8 Warning Signs That Your Device Has Malware

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Over 40 years ago the first computer virus was unleashed onto the world. Since then, cyber attacks have kept pace with technological advancements. There now exists a multitude of malware threats that can cause significant damage to your devices and IT systems. Despite the chaos these attacks can create, a malware infection isn’t always obvious. Cyber criminals are notoriously sneaky, disguising their work and burying malware deep within device systems until it’s nearly impossible to identify (let alone get rid of).

Nevertheless, there are a few warning signs that indicate your device may be infected with malware. Early detection and intervention can greatly reduce the risk of your data and accounts becoming compromised, so it’s of the utmost importance that you heed these warnings.

Warning Signs That Your Device Is Infected With Malware

1. Your Device is Running Slowly and/or Frequently Crashing

Devices may start operating slowly for a number of reasons and this doesn’t always necessarily point to a malware infection. Perhaps you’re running a memory-intensive program or application? Or have a number of internet browser tabs open at once? Maybe your device is just old and parts needs replacing? However, if your device begins acting sluggish, freezing or even crashing and you can’t pinpoint a reason…malware may be the culprit. Malware often runs in the background, eating up system resources and causing the operating system, applications, software and internet connection to slow down dramatically.

2. Pop Ups Won’t Stop Popping Up

One of the most nefarious versions of malware is spyware. Spyware is exactly what it sounds like: it spies on you in order to collect your personal information (such as passwords, financial details, location, browsing habits, etc), without your consent. Pop up ads and unexpected dialogue windows are often spyware in disguise. Spyware is known to mimic legitimate programs and businesses in order to deceive the intended victim. One of the most common examples is a fake virus or threat detection warning that urges you to click a link or call a customer service number. These pop ups are annoyingly relentless and difficult to close.

3. Your Internet Browser is Being Re-Directed

Has your browser’s homepage changed? Has an unfamiliar toolbar appeared? Are you being redirected to random webpages when surfing the web? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you might have malware. These strange happenings are usually indicative that you’ve unintentionally downloaded something nefarious or perhaps clicked on a pop up you shouldn’t have. Not every redirect will cause you harm. Accidental clicks on legitimate ads do happen after all. However, if you find that you’re entering a known website URL and being redirected to a completely foreign page, then odds are that you’ve got malware. Redirection may not be entirely obvious either. For example, a banking Trojan is a type of malware that redirects its victims from their banking institutions webpage to one that is indistinguishable, with the only notable difference being the URL in the address bar. The malware then records the individual’s login details, thus allowing cyber criminals to access their financial accounts. While this may seem scary, remember that redirection relies on browser extensions. So if you’re at all worried that you’ve been exposed to malware, all you have to do is open your browser settings and disable (or better yet delete) the extensions that you didn’t deliberately install.

4. Your Hard Drive Space Suddenly Changes Dramatically

Has your available disk space drastically increased or decreased? A sudden shift in your hard drive capacity can be an indication of a malware infection. For example, malware is known to ruthlessly delete files and software, therefore increasing the amount of unused hard drive space. On the other hand, malware (like any software) takes up hard drive space. Some malware may even copy existing files or introduce new ones into your device’s system. They are usually difficult to detect, using generic and seemingly innocuous file names. “Disk-bombs” are one such example. These self-replicating viruses and worms will devastate your device by rapidly filling the hard drive with copies of itself. In many cases, these copies are undetectable when using the default settings for file browsing.

5. Missing, Altered or Corrupted Files

As we’ve just pointed out, changes to your files can be one of the biggest red flags that malware has infected your device. If you notice that your files and/or folders are missing, corrupted or altered without explanation then you may have a serious issue on your hands. Ransomware (another type of malware program) encrypts your files (including pictures, documents, project files, etc) and, as the name suggests, holds them hostage until the victim pays to have them restored. Particularly nefarious ransomware may even encrypt your entire device, rendering it utterly useless until the cyber criminal’s demands are met. It’s important to remember that even if the ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that the hacker will restore your files or device.

6. Your Device is Making Strange Noises

By now you’re probably already familiar with that horrible whirring noise that happens when your machine is “thinking” too hard (ie. when processing something that requires a high amount of memory). However, this sound usually stops whenever the activity causing it is no longer in progress. If your computer is making this sound even when you’re not doing anything memory intensive, then malware may be operating in the background. In addition, even if the malware is running unbeknownst to you, your device will most likely alert you with some sort of audio signal. So if you’re regularly noticing chimes, bells and other alert sounds coming from your device (seemingly without cause), this could point towards a virus or malware infection.

7. Spam is Being Sent from Your Email and/or Social Media Accounts

Have any of your email contacts mentioned receiving a strange message from your account? If so, check your sent folder immediately. If you come across any unfamiliar emails that you definitely didn’t create, then you’ve most likely contracted a computer virus. Your best course of action is to immediately sign out any device logged into your email account, lest they also become infected. Next, change your password to something completely new, ideally with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Setting up two-step authentication (also known as multi-factor authentication) will also reduce the chances of unauthorised persons accessing your account. It’s not just your email that malware may infiltrate either, your social media accounts are also at risk. Some malware will wreak havoc on your social media accounts (Facebook is the most popular target) by generating fake posts or direct messages with dubious links. Unfortunately, this malware infection can spread like wildfire, as any of your contacts who are tricked into clicking on the fake link will also become infected.

8. Your Antivirus Software Isn’t Working

Generally, a good antivirus software should be able to protect your device against most viruses. Even so, some malware is sophisticated enough to defend itself. If you find that your current antivirus software isn’t updating and you’re unable to download and install a new one, then this may be a sign that a virus is working to protect itself. Try closing and reopening the software, or restarting your device. If neither of these solves the problem then it’s time to call in the professionals.

I’m Infected…What Should I Do?

Any device exhibiting these warning signs should be looked at straight away. The longer you leave malware unchecked, the more damage it can do. Once your device is free from any malicious programs you should take steps to protect yourself against any future attacks. Maintaining an up-to-date antivirus software and using a virtual private network (VPN) when connecting to the internet can be two of the simplest (yet effective) ways to protect your device, accounts and data.