A malware infection can lead to a major drop in productivity. Whether it’s on an office system or on a personal one, these infections can lead to everyday work grinding down to a halt and at worse, a complete breakdown in communication. That is why it is important to keep high-quality anti-virus and anti-malware solutions like Seqrite’s solutions updated and deployed.
But, the solutions can only be used when there is an awareness that there is a problem. At times, many users may not even know that they have an infection. Something may be going wrong or their systems just aren’t working the way they used to, but they’re not sure.
Here are some warning signs that your computer has been infected with a malware/virus:
A slow computer
This is a complaint that is very common to hear. A system suddenly starts running slowly – programs take ages to open, windows unexpectedly lock and even websites don’t open at the pace they use to.
Most modern-day computer systems slow down due to age and because they lack the processing power to keep up with new applications that take up much more computing power. While that is a natural explanation for slow systems, that does not mean there is no malware infection. The best remedy is to check the number of open processes and see if there are some unknown processes which catch the eye. These could be malware – after all, malware programs like cryptojacking specifically target computing power to generate cryptocurrency.
The Blue Screen of Death
Most Windows users are familiar with the Blue Screen of Death – the scary-looking blue window which suddenly pops up, informs the user that the system has malfunction and prompts a restart. Blue Screens of Death can be caused by registry or other issues within the system – maybe a graphic driver has malfunctioned, there has been a registry error, etc. If a user is getting a lot of Blue Screen of Death errors, however, it is cause for further investigation. It could also be a malware infection causing these sudden shutdowns.
A change in homepage
If you don’t remember changing your homepage, be extremely careful! This is one of the most visible signs of malware infecting your computer. It could be either benign and just annoying or potentially dangerous. These types of malware surreptitiously install themselves when a user clicks on a suspicious link and can cause all sorts of havoc, including redirecting your homepage to something else. In many cases, this redirected homepage could be a repository of even more malware which will quickly lead to your system going on a downward spiral.
Notifications that your cybersecurity solution is turned off
No proper cybersecurity solution that you install would turn itself off on its own. So any notification that anti-virus, anti-malware or firewall protection has been turned off must be greeted with extreme trepidation. In all likelihood, the system has been affected by a hostile virus or malware which does not just spread but even turns off anti-malware solutions to ensure there is no impasse. Without the tools to fight malware infection, the system may well reach a point where one will have to restart it.
Storage is running out
Hard drives nowadays can pack in a lot of space so a notification that your system is running out of space is cause to raise an eyebrow. There could well be a normal reason – maybe you’ve lost track of the amount of stuff you have stored, maybe you have been storing a lot of photo and video which can add up, maybe your applications including the operating system have been updating themselves with the result being a lack of space. But if your investigations reveal that none of the above is true, step carefully. You have most probably been affected by a virus or malware which has downloaded a lot of external malicious stuff which has not just filled up your hard drive but could do even more.
Seqrite’s Endpoint Security (EPS) offers a solution to guard against these threats – a simple and comprehensive platform boasting of advanced features such as Anti Ransomware, Advanced DNA Scan, Behavioural detection systems, Advanced Device Control and Web Filtering to protect any security vulnerabilities. By keeping devices secure, organizations can take one step more in keeping their networks safe.
As an IT security partner for your business, Seqrite provides comprehensive security from advanced cyber threats. To know more
