Many of us spend most of our days online, either for work or pleasure – and the more time we spend online, the more susceptible to viruses, malware and ransomware, we become.
What is Malware? I’m sure you have heard of malware, but understanding what it is and what it can do to your computer is the first step to stopping it!
In basic terms, Malware is an intrusive piece of software that is created with one sole purpose – to cause damage and potentially destroy your computer. Malware can show up in all sorts of forms, from viruses, worms to ransomware and trojans. These tiny snippets of code make their way into your system and when activated, they begin the destruction process.
Luckily, there are many ways you are able to protect your computer from malware! Most all antivirus suites will search for malware when performing a system scan. In addition, they will also scan for malware in ‘real time’, while you are browsing the internet.
If you want to specifically scan your system for malware and or prevent it from being installed on your computer, there are some really great pieces of software out there that do just that. Programs such as Malwarebytes.
How does malware get installed on your computer? Sadly, this can happen quite easily, most often times without you even knowing it’s happening. Malware can attach itself to downloads, emails and even images!
For example: Lets say that you want to download a song or video from the web. You find the file and you click, ‘save as’ and begin downloading. But…you are not even sure where you are downloading this file from – it’s just a random website. For the sake of this example, lets say that this download has malware attached to it. Once the file is downloaded, you go to open it. Once you click ‘open’, the malware installs itself on your computer and it’s in!
Now, if you had antivirus software or a program like Malwarebytes installed on your computer, the download would have more than likely been flagged and you would have received a warning stating that the file contains harmful content.
If malware does slip by however, performing a system scan using your antivirus software or Malwarebytes should detect the malware and allow you to remove it from your system – completely.
Malicious malware can do all sorts of harmful stuff to your computer. It can use up the system resources so your machine runs slow, it could disable your startup so you are unable to even turn on your computer. More serious malware can relay personal information back to the creator of the malware and some can even give these hackers access to your computer and files.
So in short, it is best to always stay protected. Make sure you are always running an antivirus software of some sort and always be aware of what you downloading and where you are downloading it from. Downloading from reputable, safe sites is always best.