Category : Software Upgrades

In this article we will answer the following virus questions, how to tell if your pc has a virus and what do you do if your computer has a virus. How to get rid of a computer virus
 and how to remove viruses from your system?
There are a number of common symptoms between viruses and spywares. And if you feel that your system is infected, you need to diagnose the problem and cure it as soon as possible.

How to deal with viruses – Symptoms?
It is important to note that your computer might behave in an unusual manner but not have a virus. It is not necessary that computers behave strangely only when infected with viruses or spyware; it can be some other hardware or software problem as well. But if you suspect that your computer has been attacked by a virus or spyware, it is always better to diagnose it. Hackers have developed viruses and spyware which are difficult to detect. They do not make their presence visible, at all. The only way to find them is by running a complete system scan.

How to get rid of a computer virus – Signs of a virus infection:
In most of the cases, viruses do show signs of their existence and presence. It is easy to detect them and it is always recommended to cure your system as soon as possible and take precautionary measures next time. Here are some of the signs of virus infections:

1. Viruses usually announce themselves.
2. Your antivirus software gives you a warning.
3. Your computer and internet speed gets slow.
4. Your computer begins to crash often and behaves in an unusual manner.
5. When you open an email attachment, strange things begin to happen.
6. Antivirus programs get disabled automatically.
7. Strange messages appear on screen and dialogue boxes appear.
8. Installing an antivirus program becomes difficult, and even if you manage to install one, it does not run.
9. Your contact list gets strange emails from your email id.
10. New icons begin to appear on your PC desktop.
11. Unexpected and strange sounds begin to play from speakers.
12. Applications and software get deleted on their own.
13. Windows do not start and display some error.
14. You will receive messages regarding low memory of your PC, even if you have a lot of empty space on your hard disk.
15. New applications do not install properly.
16. You will receive disk errors.
17. Microsoft Office products begin to crash.
18. You will not be able to start the Windows Task manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc will not open the task manager)

Sometimes viruses do not have any symptoms because they have been carefully designed and are only made for criminal purposes.

How to remove malware such as a virus, spyware, or rogue security software 
You will need malicious software-removal tools in order to get rid of viruses and spywares. Some viruses re install themselves when deleted once, so you will have to update our computer and use special virus removal software in order to delete the viruses permanently.

Is your computer running very slowly?
 Do you see some random messages popping up on the screen or some applications starting automatically? These indications prove that your computer has been infected by a virus. It could also be a spyware or a malware. It is important to immediately get rid of the virus because it can cause you some serious damage.

What do you do if your computer has a virus and how to tell if your pc has a virus. 
If you suspect your computer could be infected by a virus, look out for these symptoms:

1. You get warnings from the anti-virus software installed in your PC.
2. Your computer begins to slow down.
3. Your internet speed gets slower.
4. The home page of your web browser changes.
5. You begin to receive a huge amount of pop up advertisements.
6. You will notice new toolbars in your browser.
7. You will find new unnecessary icons on your desktop.
8. You will not be able to access some websites.
9. Some spywares will not even show its presence and only a scan will be able to discover them.
10.  Virus hoaxes can be dangerous; you need to be aware of them.

Getting rid of viruses and spyware is not an easy task. It is time consuming and requires special software. Moreover, you do not need to panic because decisions made in a rush at such moments can cause even more harm than the virus itself.

Usually it is possible to completely remove the virus, but in some cases, it becomes difficult to get rid of the virus completely. Some viruses can block your access to security websites and also disable the system’s built in defense mechanisms, so removing such viruses and spywares is a complicated task. It is better to get technical support instead of experimenting yourself.

How to get rid of a computer virus and how to deal with viruses 
Immediate actions are needed and follow these safety tips:

• Never click on free pop-ups. Even if they offer software like anti-virus and anti-spyware, do not click on them.
• Contact any sort of IT support which you may have, like friends or family.
• If you have asked for an IT specialist, do not use your computer till he/she arrives to check the system.
• If you are not using the internet, disconnect the connection.
• Take a backup of your important data (see How to Make regular backups).
• If you already have anti-virus software installed, download the latest signature and run a complete scan.
• Once the system scan is complete, you will be advised that which applications need to be deleted from your system. Delete them!

In case you do not have an anti-virus installed, or your software is not updated, you always have an option to run a free scan from the internet. Almost all the leading security software firms provide a free online scan and inform you if your system is infected or not. McAfee and Symantec are two of the best security systems and both have a free online system scan on their official websites. They also guide you regarding the removal of viruses and tell you that which removal tools will be helpful for you in removing the viruses from your system. Immediate action is recommended because viruses can have access to your private information, like passwords and credit card numbers, and that information can be used in criminal activities as well.

A few important tips:

• Change passwords on regular basis, especially if you feel that your system is infected.
• Use strong and unpredictable passwords.
• Keep a check on your credit card and bank statements in order to see if there is an unusual transaction.
• Look out for others signs which direct towards identity theft

Hackers have developed viruses and spyware which are difficult to detect. They do not make their presence visible, at all. The only way to find them is by running a complete system scan for all known computer viruses. Thousands of computers are infected each day without the knowledge of the computer user. Home based computers are at risk most, as most users don’t install any anti virus software. Read the following report so you can understand how big the computer virus, malware, spyware and spam problem is.

• 61% of malicious sites  are just regular  websites that  have been  compromised
• 1+ MILLION people are victims of cybercrime every day, that’s 12 People  Per Second.

Key Findings

• 42% increase in targeted attacks in 2012.
• 31% of all targeted attacks aimed at businesses with less than 250 employees.
• One waterhole attack infected 500 organizations in a single day.
• 32% of all mobile threats steal information.
• A single threat infected 600,000 Macs in 2012.
• Spam volume continued to decrease, with 69% of all email being spam.
• The number of phishing sites spoofing social networking sites increased 125%.
• Web-based attacks increased 30%.
• 5,291 new vulnerabilities discovered in 2012, 415 of them on mobile operating systems.

(Source: Highlights from 2013 Internet Security Threat Report from Symantec.com)

Computer viruses are frequently spread by attachments in email messages or by instant messaging messages. Therefore, you must never open an email attachment unless you know who sent the message or you are expecting the email attachment. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Computer viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in pirated software or in other files or programs that you might download.

What is a computer virus?

A computer virus is a small software program that spreads from one computer to another and interferes with computer operation. A computer virus might corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an email program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the hard disk.

When a computer is infected by a virus or spyware, it may display the following symptoms:

1. Computer starts slowing down
2. Computer crashes, freezes or stops responding
3. Undesirable and constant pop-ups
4. Web pages take a long time to load or stop responding
5. Websites are redirected to other websites when you try to access them

How to tell if your computer is infected with spyware

Spyware is a type of software that is installed on your computer to watch and record your activity. Some types of spyware record your keystrokes and information that you type into websites or other programs and then use that information for targeted advertising or identity theft. These programs can be installed on your computer in many ways but often they are hidden inside of software such as free games, screen savers, or animated cursors.

Here are some signs that your computer might be infected with spyware:

• You notice new toolbars, links, or favorites that you did not intentionally add to your web browser.
• Your home page, mouse pointer, or search program changes unexpectedly.
• You type the address of a specific website into your web browser, but you are taken to a completely unrelated website.
• You see pop-up ads, even if your computer is not connected to the Internet.
• Your computer suddenly starts running more slowly that it usually does. Not all computer performance problems are caused by spyware, of course, but spyware can cause a noticeable change in processing speed.

Sometimes your computer will show no symptoms, even if a spyware program is running. To help protect your privacy and your computer, we recommend that you run Windows Defender or another antispyware program at all times.

Please note your computer may display symptoms which may not be related to a virus or spyware problems, as other hardware issues can also display various problems. However, if you suspect an infection, it is better to diagnose it than ignore it.

Internet safety, or online safety, is the knowledge of the risk of illegal activity on the Internet. As the number of internet users continue to grow worldwide, internet safety is a growing concern. Common concerns regarding safety of the internet include Spam, Phishing, Cyber-bullying, Cyber-stalking, Malware and Computer Virus.

Here are simple ways to help protect yourself online:

• Keep your browser up to date
• Keep your operating system up to date
• Check what you click and download, including music files, movies and software.
• If you install software from the Internet, make sure you’re getting the software from a trusted source.
• If your computer is infected with virus, remove it as soon as you can.

Clean your computer with a high-quality anti-virus.

• avast!
• AVG
• BitDefender
• ESET Smart Security
• F-Secure
• Kaspersky Lab Internet Security
• McAfee
• MacScan (for Mac users)
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Norton Internet Security
• TrendMicro
• Malwarebytes

Stay Safe online?

• Don’t give out personal information such as your address or phone number.
• Don’t open emails or attachments from people you don’t know.
• Don’t become online ‘friends’ with people you don’t know.
• Never arrange to meet someone in person who you’ve met online.
• If anything you see or read online worries you, tell someone about it.

Identity Theft

The more information you make available online, the greater the risk of identity theft.
Information that people share online include:

• email address
• phone number
• postal address
• banking information

The consequences of online fraud can be huge, so be aware of the serious risks associated with online theft.