Viruses

Probably one of the best known cybersecurity threats, computer viruses are malicious programs or code that can be on your computer without your knowledge. They can spread in many ways, such as in an email attachment, through the use of an infected USB stick, or with an automatic download on an infected website.

Once your computer is infected, the viruses can replicate themselves, infect files on your computer, infect other devices connected to your machine, and send malicious email to everyone on your contact list. Viruses may also share your information (contact list, passwords, banking information, files, etc.) with criminals, control your computer to display unwanted ads or make it part of a botnet, change your settingsor otherwise control your computer.

If your computer is acting strange, closing or opening windows, running slower, changing settings automatically, or doing anything suspicious, make sure to run a full scan or diagnosis with your security software. For Windows computer, you may need to restart your computer in Safe-Mode before scanning to help ensure that the virus does not avoid detection. Ask for professional help if you can’t the cause of the problem.