There are over 350,000 incidents of malware identified each day on laptops, and whether these are computers allocated for business use, personal use, or both, these viruses are going to cause many different problems. Some will be small inconveniences like a slow running computer. Others will be much bigger challenges and involve having to shut down the business or lose out financially when money is stolen online.
If your laptop is infected with malware, you need to get it fixed as soon as possible to prevent any further damage being caused, but it can sometimes be difficult to know whether you have a malware program installed or not. Here are some of the signs to look out for so you know you need to get professional help.
- Pop-up Ads
When you have malware on your laptop it will cause pop-up ads with a variety of messages to appear on your screen. As soon as you see this is happening, you should shut down the computer and get help from experts such as those at Iconic IT.
Although some pop-ups do come from websites and are legitimate, if annoying, these are few and far between in the modern age, so seeing one should be a hint that something is wrong. This is especially true if you are on a website you have used many times in the past without these pop-ups appearing.
The problem with these ads is not the ad itself (although they are irritating and can be distracting), but the fact they often hide more malicious software that can, once clicked, cause havoc with your IT systems. They are hard to get rid of, which is why an expert will be required.
- New Icons on Your Desktop
Having a neat and tidy laptop desktop will give you a lot of benefits, and one of these is that you’ll quickly be able to notice if new icons have appeared. If you have a messy desktop full of icons including many you don’t use or remember, a new one might not be so quickly spotted, and this can lead to additional problems.
If you see unknown icons on your computer that you know you didn’t download or set up, you could well have a malware program installed. The icons aren’t the only thing to look out for; if any strange programs start loading as soon as you switch in the laptop, malware is present. Never let any of the programs load fully if possible, and never click on any of the items, even to delete them. You’ll need someone to look more deeply at the issue to ascertain how much damage has been done.
- You’re Sending Spam Emails
Have you ever have a friend or colleague – perhaps even an important client – tell you they’ve received a spam email from you? Perhaps one with a link to click or a strange attachment? If so, and you’re not sending these emails for any reason, then you have malware installed and it is this that is sending the emails.
However, although this is a good tip to look out for, as time has gone on and cybercriminals have advanced, email isn’t the only way that spam and malware can be sent to other people. Watch out for problematic texts, Facebook messages, or tweets on Twitter. These can all be used to trick people into clicking onto a malware site and infecting their own computer, tablet, or phone.
