Is your System infected? 10 Signs to look out for

Just like a person, when your computer isn’t feeling well you can usually tell. However, we might not know exactly what the problem may be.

Here are 10 signs to look out for if you think your computer might be infected with malware…

It’s running extra slow. Your PC is usually speedy, jumping from app to app, but now it’s almost slowed down to a complete stop. If it takes almost an eternity to do one thing, then chances are you probably have a malware infection.

Your browser is redirecting. Sometimes, certain malware will redirect your browser and send you to random sites you do not want to visit. When this happens to your computer, it is the hacker earning revenue for himself.

Pop-ups everywhere. Along with browser redirecting comes browser pop-ups. Again, when something like this happens to your computer, it is the hacker’s way of earning money for himself through advertising views, clicks, etc.

It’s up all night. Is there network or disk activity happening on your PC in the middle of the night when you are asleep? Well, this is a tell-tale sign of a possible infection. It is likely that your computer is busy processing illicit tasks using all your resources and bandwidth.

Strange processes are running. When you open up your task manager and a strange process or application using all your resources, you could be infected. Check on Google if the process if legit or if it is associated with a specific malware program.

You have a new browser homepage. Has your browser homepage all of a sudden changed to something without your permission? This could either be the result of malware or intrusive adware that comes with downloading from untrustworthy sites.

Some of your system tools won’t open. A common malware self-preservation tactic is to make your basic tools such as the disk defragmentation tool as well as other system maintenance and restore tools unresponsive.

You’ve been blacklisted from websites. The websites that you are visiting are reporting that your IP address is associated with a PC hacking and has therefore been blacklisted. Your system has likely been infected and it is best to isolate and quarantine immediately.

Antivirus is not responding. Often, malware will purposely disable your antivirus software to protect itself. If you are the victim of a malware infection, your antivirus will probably be unresponsive, unless you have a second opinion malware scanner to help detect and defend.

There are no symptoms. Believe it or not but sometimes there are no symptoms, or the symptoms are very hard to detect. Your best defence is to always have a trustworthy antivirus software installed as well as regular system updates and patches.

Do you think your system has been infected? If all else fails, give The Computer Guyz a call and our IT experts will effectively resolve your problem… Contact us on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgcape.co.za