Dalkeith Computers
Viruses, Spyware and other Malware!
What are computer infections?
There are many types of malware but the most common types are viruses, spyware,adware, ransomware and trojans.
Spyware is a kind of malware that works by tricking the victim into providing personal data (including login information and passwords) for later use in identity theft or it can be sold on the dark web to cybercriminals! Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user’s personal computer without their knowledge.
Malware can be installed via phishing emails; the emails will be disguised as legitimate messages but contain malicious attachments or links. As above, the purpose of all this is to steal your financial data, such as card information etc.
There are various signs that you can see when your computer is affected by malware, which includes the following:
Computer performance slow.
Web browser redirecting to sites you did not ask for.
Infection warnings and popups advising you that your computer is infected and that you should purchase the full version of the popup to remove it. In many cases the popup program is actually the infection!
Computer having problems shutting down or starting up.
Displaying frequent pop-up ads.
Regardless of your operating system, it is essential that you make sure all your software is updated. Visit Windows Update to confirm that you have automatic updating turned on and that you’ve downloaded and installed all the latest critical and security updates.
The best defence against spyware and other unwanted software is not to download it in the first place. Here are a few helpful tips that can protect you from downloading software you don’t want:
Only download programs from Web sites you trust. If you’re not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading, enter the name of the program into your favourite search engine to see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.
Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements associated with any software you download.
Never click “Agree” or “OK” to close a window. Instead, click the red “x” in the corner of the window or press Alt + F4 on your keyboard to close a window.
Using scanning software that can detect malware early and protect the system is essential. We recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware which can be found here: