Is Your Computer Infected With Dangerous Malware?

If a malware attack hits your business, there's a?34%?chance that it'll take a week or longer to regain access to your data and systems.

Let's break it down for a moment. Malware is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of malicious code. It can include:

• Viruses
• Ransomware
• Spyware
• Trojans
• Adware
• Keyloggers
• And more

The more time that a malware sits on your system unchecked, the more damage it can and will do. Most forms of malware have a goal built in to spread to and infect as many systems as possible. I'm sure you're no stranger to compounding interest. If they're not caught and removed right away, one computer could end up infecting 10 more on the same network in no time.

Early detection is critical so you can disconnect an infected device from your network and have it properly cleaned by a professional.

I thought it would be fitting to mention that just because you're in a regional town such as Gladstone, Mount Isa or Coober Pedy doesn't make you immune to these attacks. Malware doesn't discriminate.

Here are some key warning signs of malware infection for you to keep a look out for so you can jump into action and reduce your risk.

STRANGE POPUPS ON YOUR DESKTOP

Some forms of malware can be sneaky and take on the disguise of being an antivirus app or warranty notice that pops up on your screen. Hackers try to mimic things that we may have seen from a legitimate program, so we'll be more apt to click without thinking. Fortunately you're reading this blog and know better.

If you begin to see a strange and even uncalled for “renew your antivirus” subscription alert or a warranty renewal that doesn’t quite make sense, do not follow through. These could be signs that your PC has been infected with adware or another type of malware.

NEW SLUGGISH BEHAVIOR

Computers can become sluggish for a variety of reasons, these can be having too many tabs open at once or running a memory-intensive program. You should typically know your computer and the types of things that slow it down over time.

If you notice new sluggish behaviour that is out of the ordinary, that could be a sign of infection. One example would be if you don’t have any programs open except notepad or another simple app, and you experience freezing.

When malware is running in the background, it can often eat up system resources and cause your system to get sluggish.

APPLICATIONS START CRASHING

Just so you know, applications should not just crash out of the blue. There is always a reason. Either the software is faulty, there’s been a problem with an update, or something else may be messing with that application’s files.

If, all of a sudden you experience apps crashing, requiring you to restart the app or reboot your system, this is a clear sign that a virus, trojan, or other malicious code has been introduced.

YOUR BROWSER HOME PAGE IS REDIRECTED

If you open the browser you usually use and land on a homepage that is not the one you normally see, have your PC scanned for malware ASAP. Redirecting a home page is a common ploy of certain types of malware.

The malware will infect your system and change the system setting for your default browser home page. This may lead you to a site filled with popup ads or even to another type of phishing site.

Unfortunately, just trying to change your homepage back in your settings won’t fix the situation. It’s crucial to have the malware removed for good.

SUDDEN REBOOTS

Very much like closing programs suddenly, another annoying trait of certain types of malicious code is to make your whole system reboot without warning.

This can cause you to lose the work you’re doing and can make it difficult to get anything else done. It's a real cripple. This could happen when malware is altering core system files in the background. With the files corrupted, your system becomes unstable and can lead to unexpected reboots.

YOU’RE MISSING HARD DRIVE SPACE

If you find that a solid amount of your hard drive space that used to be free is now gone, it could be a malware infection selfishly taking up your space. Some types of malware can make copies of files or introduce new files into your system.

They will cleverly hide, so don’t expect to see the word “malware” on a file search (although that would make life easier for us). Instead, the dangerous activities will usually be masked by a generic-sounding name that you mistake for a normal system file.

YOU RUN ACROSS CORRUPTED FILES

If you open a file and it's corrupted, this could be a red flag?that ransomware or another form of malware has infected your system.

Sometimes files can become corrupt for other reasons, but this is a serious issue that deserves a thorough malware scan if you see it.

PC “PROCESSING SOUNDS” WHEN THERE SHOULDN’T BE

I'm sure that a lot of us are familiar with those “thinking sounds” when our computer is processing something memory intensive. It's a type of whirring that goes away once you finish that activity.

If you start hearing this processing sound when you’re not doing anything particularly intensive on your computer, this could be a sign that malware is running in the background and it should be checked out.

GET EXPERT MALWARE SCANNING & REMOVAL

As convenient as they are, free online malware and virus scans aren’t very reliable. Truthfully, our team at Kixup IT knows the most efficient way to deal with these dangerous malware and we can ensure your entire system is cleaned properly.

Andrew Frahm

Founder of?Kixup IT?&?Kixup Repairs