There are none more famous than the ‘Millenium Bug’ (that massive thing that was meant to break the entire world, but didn’t). We’re talking about the dreaded computer virus. You’ll know roughly what one is. At the very least you’ll know it’s not a good thing. But, how are you meant to actually tell if your PC has one and is in desperate need of Virus Removal?
If you’ve got Antivirus Software installed, you should get a notification to warn you of a potential threat to your PC, if you’ve set up a recurring virus check. ‘Should’. Even if you have to run a virus check manually, your Antivirus Software should (that word again!) pick up whether or not your computer has been infected and needs Virus Removal.
Either way, whether you do have Antivirus Software installed or not, you should always be vigilant and aim to spot signs your computer has a virus.
Warning Signs to Watch Out For
Below, we’ll highlight some of the more common signs and symptoms you’ll notice if your PC is infected with a computer virus.
Keep in mind, though, that the cyber criminals who create these computer viruses are cunning. They’re becoming increasingly crafty and making it much harder for viruses to detect.
1) Your PC is S-L-O-W-W-W
A symptom you’ll probably be able to spot pretty easily. If your once-lightening-fast laptop or PC is now taking an age to complete even the simplest of tasks, there’s a chance it has a virus.
This symptom isn’t unique to PC’s having a virus. It could well be that your PC, maybe due to age, just needs to be optimised with the help of a PC MOT.
2) Your Web Browser is Behaving Strangely
Symptom No.2 is another that you should be able to pick up on with relative ease. While you’re shopping online for clothes or flicking through Facebook photos, your browser might start to do some very random stuff.
What your browser actually does and how random or erratic its behaviour becomes will vary wildly depending on the type of virus, spyware or adware. But even if you notice even the smallest change or responsiveness issues, talk to Teign Geeks.
3) Pesky Pop-Ups Galore
This one is an absolute annoyance-and-a-half. If you’ve been unlucky enough to experience this in the past, or are currently experiencing it – we feel for you. It’s nigh on impossible to do anything at all, because the pop-ups are so persistent and regular.
Click here – pop up. Click there – pop up. To make matters worse, the pop-ups themselves can even be malicious and can harm your PC.
4) Random Emails Being Sent… Which You Didn’t Send!
This is really quite common. It can be quite embarrassing, too. Because often the content contained in these emails can be explicit, or contain promotional material for products you wouldn’t really like to be associated with.
So if nothing else, save yourself from light-to-heavy embarrassment and protect your PC against viruses. If emails are being sent from your account that you haven’t sent – talk to us ASAP. It’s likely your computer is infected.
5) Files Going AWOL
If you’ve not got your data backed-up, this one can be particularly worrying. If you notice that some of your files or data are going missing, be it files in folders or from your desktop, your PC could be infected and need Virus Removal.
With a bit of luck, we’ll be able to retrieve and recover any data that’s been lost because of the infection.
‘How Did My PC Get Infected?’
If you’ve noticed one or more of the above symptoms, you’re probably wondering how on earth your PC came to be infected. Here are just a few common ways your computer can get a virus:
- You clicked an infected link in an email
- You opened an email attachment that contained a virus
- You downloaded software or an app from a malicious website
- You used P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing or torrents
- You followed the instructions given over the phone during a scam ‘support’ call
- You illegally downloaded music or videos
NOTE: Even if you have state-of-the-art Antivirus Software installed, doing any of the above still increases the risk of your security software being circumvented and your machine infected.
Do You Really Need to Worry About Viruses?
So we’ve given you these six warning signs to keep an eye out for. But, is a computer virus really even something you really need to worry about? Or, like the Millenium Bug, is there a big fuss about them… over nothing?
Some of the signs above might seem more like a bit of a nuisance, more than anything else. Yet, the reality is much more sinister.
The majority of viruses, spyware and adware are created by cyber criminals who have one goal – to make money. High-earning cyber criminals can make up to $2 million every year. Globally, cyber crime costs a staggering $600 million.
The viruses they create – the ones which can infect your PC – can steal your data for profit; trick you into paying for something you don’t really need; or even extort or blackmail you by keeping data or sensitive information about you as a ransom.
We’re here to help protect your PC from viruses, and remove any that do infect your PC. So you shouldn’t lose sleep over computer viruses – but you should be weary of them, at the very least.
Virus Removal from Teign Geeks
Teign Geeks offers a complete start-to-finish Virus Removal service, which involves eradicating every bit of the infection. Once completed, your PC’s performance will be restored back to normal.
If you’re still unsure whether your PC has a virus or not, please feel free to call us on 01626 773 365. Alternatively, you can email us or drop your PC directly into our offices in Teignmouth. The clean-up will usually be completed within two days.
Find out more about Virus Removal here.
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