What To Do If You Think Your Computer Or Server Has Been Infected With Malware

In the same way that our bodies fight against the feeling of lethargy that comes with infections, our devices also cause certain symptoms or errors that can indicate a number of problems.

Malware infection usually occurs when you visit compromised websites, follow links to malicious sites on social networks or e-mail messages, or install infected USB drives. Likewise, vulnerabilities in your operating system and applications make it easier for cybercriminals to install malware on your server.

The main target is data theft, but direct attacks happen for other nefarious purposes as well. They are easier to compromise due to zero-day vulnerabilities that make them a more valuable target.

However, not every mistake can trigger anxiety by itself, but if you know what to look for, there are some unexpected behaviors that can trigger anxiety.

Telltale signs a computer or server infected with malware

If you think your computer or server is infected with malware, check the following:

· Decreased performance

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Slow Processes

· Excessive hard disk activity

· Inability to connect to the Internet

· On-screen system infection warnings

Browser Hacking or Redirection

Unable to open Microsoft Installer or EXE files

· Missing files, missing Start menu entries, or empty C: drive

Antivirus icon does not start or disappears from the taskbar

· No access to higher-level system management functions

· Longer or no windows loading time

Seemingly random programs running in the background

· Internet home pages in your browser have been changed

· Pop-ups appear more often than usual

Fancy icons and buggy device manager

So what do you do if you see this and other strange behaviors on your computer or server? Below is our overview of immediate fixes and preventive measures you can take in the future.

Scan your system immediately

This is the first line of defense. If you have antivirus installed, immediately scan your system to check for possible malware. If the infection is obvious and easy to spot, you can try to remove it. If nothing is found, but you still feel that something is wrong, you can run an alternative current and tested antivirus scanner.

Remember to run antivirus scans on your computer regularly, as well as real-time and scheduled scans for servers and all other devices connected to it via FTP Get a good malware removal software and server monitoring tool to get real-time updates on your server’s performance.

Start the computer in Safe Mode

Disconnect your computer from the Internet and boot into Safe Mode In this state, only the minimum required services and programs will be loaded, and to prevent any malware from running, it will be set to start at startup of your OS (the process depends on your OS).

If your computer is faster in Safe Mode, it could mean two things: you have a lot of programs that run along with your OS, or a malware infection.

Before you run anything, delete the temporary files to speed up malware scanning while removing downloaded virus files. Make sure your OS and apps are always up to date with the latest security fixes.

Restore clean backups

One of the main symptoms of a computer infection is missing files, and this can be fixed by regularly backing up your data. Thus, if the infection is difficult to remove, you can still start over using files that have been backed up to an external hard drive or cloud storage with minimal impact.

Scan your backups for viruses and malware to make sure they are not infected either.

On your website, replace all infected files with clean copies from a clean backup. Or, if you don’t have a backup, ask your host for older versions of your files.

Stick to reputable websites and apps

The internet is full of incredible content and amazing apps. But downloading such apps or visiting any other site can be dangerous.

Stick to reputable sites and always know what’s behind a link before clicking on it. If you are in doubt about the correct site or link, search the Internet to see if it is an Internet scam.

Anti-check for email attachments and links

Email attachments received from someone you know or not can also be infected with malware and used to spread the infection. To fix this, do not open files that you are unsure of, and do not scan them before downloading and opening them on your computer.

Cybercriminals use phishing emails to entice you to click on them, visit malicious sites, or download infected files. This could be anything from a fake bank notice or a message from a friend, or even an alleged virus alert.

Do not open files with extensions such as .exe, .com, .pif, and .src.

Use strong passwords or authentication tools

Passwords and other confidential data are one of the main targets of cybercriminals. This is why it is so important to use a strong, unique, and complex password combination for every online account.

If you can’t remember all of your passwords, find a good password manager to help you with that. Also use two-factor authentication if available for an additional layer of protection.

For your website and server, change all associated access codes and use FTP over SSL or SFTP to access the encrypted web space instead of normal FTP access.

Use Google Search Console

This tool can detect a website malware infection when iti scans such software and then provide you with the help you need to fix it.

Once you find and remove a line of malicious code, contact search engines to review and / or remove your site from their malware blacklists. You can use this tool for Google or use Bing Webmaster Tools

Conclusion

Getting rid of malware can be tricky. How you do this depends on the errors that you can catch, but the methods described above will help you minimize the risk of reinfection and get rid of them without destroying your data.

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