Even if you’re not the president of your company or a government official, hackers may be out to steal your private information. Here are some of the signs that you might be under attack, and what to do about it.
So what is spyware anyway?
“Spyware is any piece of software that collects and transmits information without the user’s consent and with covert methods,” shares Steven Solomon, co-founder and CTO of Arcutek. It is used to gather information on a target, usually passwords, credit card, and financial information, system files, and, in extreme cases, keylogging and screen capture, he says. Find out the clear signs you’re about to be hacked.
Are your apps acting up?
“A known approach to data collection is injecting attacker code to the target application,” says Lindsay Hull, Senior Strategist at Zer0 to 5ive. The result is an app may run slowly or crash frequently. Here are 17 everyday things you didn’t know could be hacked.
You start seeing more pop-up ads
“If all of a sudden you have browser add-ins or plug-ins you don’t remember installing, your machine may be infected,” says Richard Ford, PhD, chief scientist at Forcepoint. “Often, these add-ins help an attacker monetize their access to your machine. Similarly, if the web now seems full of pop-up advertisements, you may be infected.”
Your homepage changed?
“Other signs of potential spyware are files appearing on your computer, or toolbars and tray icons that you didn’t install suddenly showing up,” Clements says. You may also find that your antivirus software or some system tools on your computer are unresponsive or don’t work properly.
You ignore updates!
Regularly updating your devices and its software helps ensure they are armed with critical patches that protect against bugs or flaws in their operating systems that cybercriminals can leverage. Though it’s tempting to skip out on these updates or put it off for a few days or even a few weeks, taking a few minutes to download them means you aren’t recklessly leaving your devices open for hackers. You’ll also want to know the phone call scams that you should avoid, too.
What to do!
Prevention is the best defense!
The best way to avoid infection is to have a solid, reputable antivirus/antimalware program installed in your computer, says Troy Wilkinson, CEO of Axiom Cyber Solutions. Fortunately, even advanced antivirus/antimalware solutions are not expensive. “These cost just a couple of dollars a month, so there really is no valid reason not to use one. But if you get infected, spyware can run hidden in the background, silently collecting your information and could cost you hundreds or thousands in the long run.” Don’t miss the 26 secrets an identity thief doesn’t want you to know.
What else to do about it
Malicious software removal, including spyware is part science and part art; it’s always tedious and never reliable,” says Greg Scott, cybersecurity expert and author. One popular fix is to run a Windows System Restore to revert your system back to a date just prior to when you started noticing the virus symptoms. “Unfortunately, some sophisticated spyware also corrupts the restore points, so this is not a universal fix,” Scott says.
Another popular fix is downloading, installing, and running a second antivirus package, like Malwarebytes, which is free to download and offers a manual scan. “Unfortunately, since the system is already compromised, it may not be possible to download and install yet another software package. And if this is a new spyware attack, antivirus solutions may not find it because its signature is unknown,” Scott explains. “Instead, it’s often more effective to make backup copies of all documents, scan those to make sure they’re clean, then wipe and rebuild the problem system.” Don’t miss these 10 ways to protect yourself online so you don’t fall victim to a scam.
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Security alert: Bogus tech-support phone calls
“Hello. This is 'Microsoft' Or 'Windows' Tech Support. Your PC has notified us that it has an infection.”
"The call is a scam — an extremely prevalent one."
Scams come and go, but this particular one seems to have staying power — and it’s spreading quickly. It’s now so common, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center) issued a Jan. 7 special alert, “New twist to online tech support scam.”
Microsoft flatly states:
“Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes. … Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.” (See the full text on Microsoft’s “Avoid tech support phone scams” page.)
Further scam-proofing — and reporting scammers
For more information about how to recognize the type of scam Scott ran into, see the MS Safety & Security Center page, “Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently.”
You’ll find additional ways to generally scam-proof yourself on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) site, “Telemarketing Scams.”
If you receive (or have already received) a scam-related phone call, the FTC requests you dial (toll-free) 1-877-FTC-HELP or (1-877-382-4357) or visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center site.
If you’re on the receiving end of an attempted scam via the Web (rather than by phone), file a complaint on the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s free website.
And here’s some preventive medicine that might help. Register all your phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry (free; site). This won’t stop all unsolicited calls, but it will stop most. If your number is on the Registry and you still get calls, they’re likely to be from scammers ignoring the law. In that case, call the FTC number listed above and file a complaint.
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A little paranoia can help keep us all safe!