Malware

Malware is any software that is designed with the intent to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or cause disruption to a client, server, network, or computer. A lot of the time users don’t know that they are interacting with it. There are several different flavors of malware, but they all have some key clues that you are infected. Here we will go over a brief overview of how to protect yourself, how you get infected, and some steps you can take to get rid of it.

Protect yourself:

Do not use an administrator account unless you need to.
Keep your computer operating system’s security patches up to date.
Keep all browsers and applications updated.
Be cautious and vigilant if you use a file sharing platform. I tend to avoid them altogether unless it is something required by my employer or I know and trust the source. Some file sharing platforms frequently used today are OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Some of you may remember LimeWire. It was a free file sharing client that frequently infected unsuspecting users with malware.
Be mindful of the links you are clicking on. Do not blindly click through links trying to find something.
Be mindful of your downloads and use caution opening email attachments and images. Do not download or open attachments from untrusted sources.
Use antivirus software. BitDefender is my personal favorite, but do your research and find one that meets your needs.

How Malware infects computers and what it may look like:

Clicking a pop-up window that starts a download of malware. This is one of the most common ones I see. The user gets a message saying that their computer has been infected or has a critical error and directs the user to contact a company for assistance or buy a software to remove it. The pop ups are very persistent and can make the computer almost unusable.
Downloading free software that contains malware. This kind of infection can have several different clues depending on the type of malware it is. In some cases, the computer may become very sluggish. It could result in pop ups. It could send out fake emails from your account. Sometime even legitimate software is bundled with malware. Pay attention to what add-ons you are selecting in the bundle. A malware infection from these causes can could go unnoticed for a while, so it is best to stay vigilant.
Opening email attachments that contain malware. These e-mails can be from unknown senders or a contact that has an infected device. This can result in emails sent from your account that you did not send, strange social media posts, warnings popping up, etc.

What to do if you’re infected:

If you do not have much troubleshooting experience, it would be safest to take your device to a trusted professional.
If you would like to attempt to remove malware yourself, you can check out this link I got from BitDefender: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2127/