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Besides being stolen or damaged, a malware an infection is one of the worst things that can happen to your computer. Not only can malicious software or malware slow down your computer, but it can also cause your passwords and even your identity to be stolen by cybercriminals.
While cybercriminals tend to prefer their malicious activity on your computer to remain hidden, there are some recognizable signs that your computer has fallen victim to a malware infection according to a new news release. blog post (opens in a new tab) of Kaspersky. It’s worth noting that hardware issues can also lead to you seeing some of these signs. However, if you notice that several of them are happening at the same time, then your computer is probably infected with malware.
These are the six main signs you want to check if you believe your computer might be infected with malware, along with some tips on how to remove malware from your computer.
1. Your computer is running slowly
Even the best computers then will slow down over time. This is often due to hard drives filling up, software demanding more resources, or dust and other debris clogging a system’s airflow. However, if your computer becomes noticeably slower after a short period of time, it may be infected with malware.
Just like with other programs on your computer, malware uses system resources including your CPU and memory. However, the cybercriminals who develop malware do not do the same job of optimizing their malicious software to run on your computer. Therefore, a significant slowdown in system performance is one of the signs of a malware infection.
At the same time, you may also notice that your hard drive makes a lot of noise or takes much longer to copy files. This may indicate that the drive itself is failing, but if there is malware on your computer, it could be reading or writing data constantly.
2. You cannot shut down or restart your computer
If you can’t shut down or restart your computer, it may be infected with malware. The reason behind this is that many computer viruses need to remain present in your memory or RAM to continue to function.
When you shut down or restart your computer, this clears your computer’s memory, which can erase any fileless malware. Unlike traditional malware, fileless malware does not require an attacker to install any code on a victim’s computer which makes it much more difficult to detect and remove.
3. You cannot open frequently used files or folders
If you find yourself unable to open files or folders that you use quite often, this could be a sign of a malware infection. Although it is often used to target businesses, ransomware is actually a form of malware that uses encryption to lock down a victim’s files, folders, or even their entire computer. While you may have accidentally deleted an important file, if it’s on your system and you can’t open it without a password, your computer has been infected with ransomware.
4. Remote connection notifications appear on your computer
Breaking into someone’s house and physically tampering with their computer is quite risky, which is why cybercriminals often use it remote connections in their attacks. This way they can attack computers anywhere in the world via the internet.
Fortunately, remote-access software like TeamViewer or LogMeIn displays a message on your computer when someone else is connected to it. However, if you see notifications like this pop up or get requests that someone you don’t know wants access to your computer, then the device has been infected with malware or your online accounts have been hacked. Either way, remote connection notifications can be a red flag when determining whether or not your computer is infected with malware.
5. New files or applications appeared on your computer
If you haven’t created new files or installed new software on your computer, but you see unknown programs, files, plug-ins, or anything else out of the ordinary, your device might be infected with malware. Sure, some apps try to install additional apps or toolbars after an update, but if you see something that isn’t from a developer you know, you should be wary.
With new files that appeared out of nowhere on your computer, they could actually be a ransom note after the ransomware attack. Cybercriminals often leave new files or change the wallpapers of infected systems to make victims pay.
6. Your browser is acting suspiciously
Although changing your homepage may be the work of a legitimate program or extension, malware can also be the culprit. This is done to benefit the cybercriminals behind the malware because clicks on the new home page can earn them revenue. Likewise, you may find that your default search engine has been changed and that new extensions have been added to your browser.
If your computer is infected adware, you may notice that the ribbons on pages you visit frequently are replaced by more questionable ones. Two things you want to watch out for are the same ad appearing on every page you visit, and your browser redirecting you to other pages after you type a website’s URL into your address bar.
How to prevent your computer from getting infected with malware
When it comes to preventing malware infection, you should make sure you have one of the best antivirus software solutions installed on your computer.
Fortunately, Microsoft’s own Windows Defender has become much better at detecting malware in recent years. However, paid antivirus software often does a better job because Bitdefender, Norton, Kaspersky and other security companies update their malware scanning engines with new samples more often. Once you have your antivirus software installed, you should then set it to regularly scan your computer for malware.
One of the main ways you can protect yourself from malware is by being careful about what you download. Cybercriminals often like to target users who pirated software or games because they can add malicious code without worrying that it can be discovered. The same goes for those who stream movies or watch illegal streams online.
Email is another way users can get infected with malware. Therefore, you should avoid opening emails from unknown senders but if you do open one, don’t download any attachments it may contain or click on any links in the body of the email.
Finally, if you discover malware on your computer, you may also want to invest in the best identity theft protection because the passwords and other sensitive information stored on your computer could allow a cybercriminal to steal your identity and commit fraud.
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