Computer Acting Crazy? How To Know If Your Computer Has A Virus

Summary: Learn how to know if your computer is infected with a virus or other malicious code, and discover the device security solutions that can help protect you from devastating cyberattacks. By knowing the different types of malware used by hackers, you can recognize them early and take the cyber security steps required to protect your SMB network from an attack. The longer malware goes undetected, the more expensive it is to resolve.

Have you noticed that your computer has been acting strange? It might suddenly be plagued with pop-up advertisements. Or perhaps it’s become slow to boot up, and applications take forever to load. Your computer might be infected with a virus. A computer virus is malicious software or malware that damages applications and data, or collects keystrokes to discover logins, passwords or credit card numbers. Viruses can be dormant until activated, but once they are executed, they replicate quickly and alter other programs by infecting them with malicious code.

Undetected malware allows criminals to return repeatedly to harvest more data, so detection and removal are essential to protect your business data and reduce the liability risk of a data breach. There are many possible signs that your computer may be infected with viruses and other malware.

How to Recognize Malware

Device performance may change when malicious code is injected into a computer. Knowing how to recognize malware can alert you in the earliest stages of an attack:

• Slower Operation – A common sign of a viral infection is an overall slowdown in performance. At first, it might manifest as slow booting and loading, as well as frequent crashes.
• Pop-Ups – Although many systems contain pop-up blockers, you might be the victim of a virus if you see unexpected pop-ups or information you did not request.
• Add-Ons and New Toolbars – A good rule of thumb is to suspect anything new in your system that you did not request or install. It could be a sign of a virus infection.
• A New Homepage – If you did not intentionally replace your search engine or homepage, but a new one appears, beware! Changes to your system that are made without your permission might be caused by a virus.
• High CPU Usage – If viruses are working in the background on your device, you might notice unusually high usage even when you are doing little or nothing. By checking your task manager, you can tell if new processes that you did not initiate are running.
• Spam Originating from Your Email or SNS Platform – If your contacts are receiving unusual messages coming from your email or SNS accounts, and you did not send them, they could be the result of an infection.
• Strange Noises – If your computer is making unusual sounds, not typical to its function, it could be a sign of a virus wreaking havoc in your system.
• Draining Battery in Laptops – If the battery on your laptop is not that old and it’s suddenly draining faster than expected, the drain could mean that a virus is using up power by performing operations in the background.
• Unknown Programs – This is easy. If you see programs on your machine that you know you did not download or install, take it as a warning sign of a possible viral infection.
• Blocked Antivirus and Update Downloads – If your antivirus software is not downloading newly updated virus definitions or cannot download any antivirus software, it is probably being blocked by a virus designed to thwart antivirus activities.

Types of Malware

Hackers have been designing malware for a long time. As our connected tech world has grown, cyberthieves have stepped up their game and now have many different tools and approaches for launching cyberattacks. Here is a list of some of the most common types of malware attacks:

• Viruses – A virus is a snippet of computer code that can insert itself into a legitimate program. Viruses can begin to cause malfunctions immediately and can spread rapidly.
• Worms – Worms are malicious code that spread by rapid replication and infect multiple devices simultaneously.
• Trojans – Trojans, also known as Trojan Horses, do not replicate like viruses and worms. However, they can be difficult to stop and are massively destructive when activated.

When cybercriminals have physical access to your computer and its network devices or obtain escalated permissions, (such as a senior-level executive’s credentials) they can gain remote administrator-level control of your system and continue to expand their attacks or transfer large amounts of money to untraceable offshore accounts. The most common hacking tools used are:

• Spyware – Spyware is manually installed on a computer system. Once installed, it spies on your computer activities and collects data. As spyware operates in the background, hackers collect the stolen data and relay it to another party.
• Keyloggers – When cybercriminals steal a password, they might be using keyloggers. Once installed, keyloggers can capture every keystroke of the unsuspecting users. Keyloggers unlock and transmit all of your computer activities, even your most private data.
• Rootkits – When a rootkit is manually installed on your computer system, it allows the hacker to switch remote access control to another device.
• Ransomware – Ransomware has become very common. A ransomware attack has two primary parts: encrypting all your data so you cannot access it and then demanding a ransom before decrypting and unlocking it. Generally, ransomware attacks have time limits on paying the ransom. Hackers then double or triple the demanded ransom amount if it is not paid by the deadline. Data may or may not be returned and it may be repeatedly sold on the dark web.
• Adware – Adware is one of the oldest cybercrimes. It tricks the user into clicking on an advertisement and then leads them to download more ads with malicious content. Adware applies user manipulation to spread its attack.

Cyber security is becoming more and more complex. Most SMBs and remote employees do not have the budget or expertise to tighten up their security in-house. Learning how to know if your computer has a virus is essential to protect your business. Cyber protection cannot be ignored. The risk of downtime, data and financial theft and lost business can put your small company out of business. Take steps to reduce risk and hire IT security professionals to perform a cyber risk analysis and recommend cyberdefense solutions to help you defend against all types of malware and cyberattacks.