The is one of the most common evils that a computer can suffer. It is a malicious software that invade and disable the functions of a computer or mobile device. If you are interested in knowing how to detect if malware is stealing information from your computercontinue reading.
The computer virus cannot damage the hardware of the device. Its main goals are to steal valuable information, alter files, hijack computer functions, and spy without consent.
To safeguard the integrity of the equipment, it is essential know the most frequent routes of infectionsymptoms and how to prevent the spread.
What are the main means of spreading malware? How do they get to my team?
The virus or malware infection on the computer it can come from any place or recurring task.
Below, we detail the main means of spreading malware and how they reach your computer:
popup windows
When you surf the internet, it is common to find ads or small boxes that appear on the web portal you visit. These are windows that contain the virus. In some cases, users do not pay much attention to what it says, and they press “to accept” without giving it more importance.
Interacting with pop-ups causes malware to be downloaded to your computer without your knowledge. The same thing happens when programs are downloaded on the Internet from unreliable sites. The installation is likely accompanied by malicious software.
infected software
When any program, update, demo, game or add-on is downloaded via unreliable portal, you run the risk of getting a malware infection in the computer. The same thing happens when download applications of unknown origin on the mobile.
Open emails from unknown sources
Receiving emails from strangers is a risk factor. Even the case of identity theft of another contact may arise. The content of the email, be it a link, photo, video, Word or Excel document, ZIP file, invoices and so on, are infected by malware.
USB or CD drives
External devices are one of the main means of spreading viruses, used by cyber criminals. If you connect a infected usbor insert an infected CD into the computer, you favor the security of your team is compromised.
Enter unreliable links
The Internet attackers they make one Consists in copy the look and feel of a legitimate website, in order to steal confidential information from victims. In the same way, receiving fraudulent links by mail or social networks, or entering portals with a dubious reputation can also lead to contagion.
Piracy
Download music, series, movies or programs on the Internet in Unofficial programs or platforms represent a great risk. Along with the file, a Trojan, malware, spyware, or any other form of virus may come bundled.
Do not perform antivirus updates
Finally, the most common way to suffer a contagion is neglect computer security. The presence of viruses on the computer largely depends on the user. If you do not have an antivirus, or do not perform the necessary updates, you promote malware to spread to all your valuable files.
Learn to identify the clear signs that a malicious program is stealing your information
you must be very Be aware of the changes that your computer presents. Sometimes, threats go undetected, making it much more difficult to identify the problem.
For that reason, learn to identify the clear symptoms that a malicious program steals your information with the following characteristics:
Low performance
A computer that is infected by malware, usually suffers from a considerable reduction in task processing. In other words, the slowness of activities performed on the computer It is a clear symptom of a problem.
popup windows
The continuous appearance of ads and pop-upswhich have not been configured by the user, is another sign of the presence of malware or malicious software on the computer.
fraudulent programs
if in the start window shows programs that you have not installedit is likely that they were downloaded by the same malware.
abnormal behavior
When the computer opens windows, closes the browser, deletes files, restarts or shuts down unexpectedly, are characteristics of the damage caused by computer viruses. The sudden change of the desktop background is also part of the abnormal behavior.
Failures to download
If you get a frequent error during the operating system updateor from some program that you have installed, it is possible that the virus is affecting the stability of the download.
Disabled Features
The basic functions of the operating system or of certain programs are disabled. It also makes it difficult to start the operating system, both in safe mode and in normal mode. It is likely that there will be a blue screenor that the internal devices of the computer begin to work strangely.
slow browsing
Malware can also affect speed with which you browse the internet or download a file. In the same way, they can alter the home page, or redirect you to portals unknown. Also can add vendor toolbars unusual in the browser.
Messages and alerts
The appearance of security alerts or intimidating messages are clear signs of being a victim of a malware. In some cases, these messages request a payment from the user so that they can recover their information. On the other hand, they are also often disguised as antivirus solutions.
network settings
The change in network configurationconnection of outgoing and incoming networks, and protocols not used regularly, is another indication of the malware attack in the team.
Steps to remove a virus or malware from your computer and prevent it from continuing to steal your data
When a malware has made its way to the computerit is necessary to take the appropriate measures to counteract the harmful effects of the virus. In this way, you can prevent than malicious software damage other files.
Below, we detail the steps to remove a virus or malware from your computer and prevent it from continuing to steal your data:
Run the antivirus in safe mode
It is likely that malware does not allow you to run an antivirus scan from a normal start.
For this reason, it is necessary to enter safe mode, since the malware has no effect in said mode:
- In Windows 7, restart the computer. During the black screen, hold down the key “F8”.
- In case of being Windows 10enter to “Setting”and select “Update and security”. Then press “Recovery”. go to “Advanced start” and press “Restart now”.
- After the reboot, on the screen of “Choose an option”press “Solve problems”followed by “Advanced Options”after “Startup Settings” and finally “Restart”.
- When it has restarted, A list of options appears on the screen. Press F4 to open the “Safe Mode” either press F5 to enter the “Safe mode with networking” if it is necessary to use the Internet.
- Run the antivirus in safe mode so that it performs a full scan of the files corrupted by the virus. The software must be updated to the latest version. If it is not possible to delete a file from the system, add it to the quarantine.
- Run another scan to verify that the cleanup was successful.. You can use a special anti-malware tool for additional protection. Finally, restart the computer.
emergency systems
The more serious cases of malware are those in which the user is makes it difficult to start the operating system from your computer. In such situations, it is necessary to use an emergency software. They are free to download, and can also work from a disk. You just need to run the emergency software and allow it to do an extensive scan on your computer so that it can remove malware. It is the best solution against complex attacks.
Team formatting
If problems persistYou only have two options: Turn to an expert or reformat the equipment. Formatting is the most complex process, as it involves backing up important computer files, completely emptying the hard drive, and reinstalling the operating system.
Tips to prevent malware from infecting your computer and spreading
The presence of malware depends, as mentioned above, on the Username. frequent sites unreliable, to download pirated content, or not keep antivirus up to date may lead to computer infection.
To prevent any incident, we offer you a series of tips to prevent malware from infecting your computer and spreading:
Make the relevant updates
Make sure that the equipment is updated automatically periodically. An up-to-date computer is less prone to a hack. Also, try to keep your programs, email and web browsers updated, so that you avoid security breaches.
Make use of the antivirus
Antivirus is an indispensable software to avoid malware infection, viruses and trojans on the computer. However, it is not enough to have it installed. It is necessary that it be updated so that security cannot be violated. In addition, it is recommended to run scans frequently to check the health of the computer.
Beware of the unknown
You must be extremely careful with any device that does not belong to you. The units USB, CD or external hard drives They may be contaminated with various types of computer viruses. Secondly, try not to lend your devices to other unreliable users.
Don’t open strange files
If you receive a message from an unknown user through any social network, or an email from a strange contact, do not interact with the content of the message. In fact, you shouldn’t open such a message either. Any attached file can include the presence of malware, be it a photo, video, document, link or file.
Download your programs from official portals
The downloads you make on your computer must come from reliable sources. On many occasions, some websites redirect you to other portals that are full of pop-up advertisements, which could be infected with some malware. For this reason, download all your programs from reputable pages.
Back up
before a cyber attack, it is better to have your important files secured. Back up With some frequency. In this way, if you lose control over the computer, you will have a storage space insurance where your valuable documents will not be affected, and that you can easily recover.
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