Learn 5 Indicators You Have a Computer Virus

5 Indicators You Have a Computer Virus

Last Updated: February 19, 2014

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Everybody knows what a computer virus is. Well, they think they do. “Virus” is a generalized term that applies to viruses, Trojans, worms, keyloggers, and more. Not all viruses let you know they are present, and some can stay hidden for days or years waiting for a specific date before they will become active.

1. Pop-Up Ads

This is probably the best known type of virus, because it gets in your face. While you’re surfing the Internet, random pop-ups will open. Sometimes this is a virus, but usually the cause is a piece of software that you installed. There are applications all over the Internet that are willing to let you try them for free. You just have to install a little application on your computer, and now you can have a cool screen saver or get weather updates with nice-looking graphics. These companies allow you to load their software for free and take over some of your Internet searching. This virus is no longer common because the more popular browsers allow users to shut off pop-up ads. The virus may still be on your machine, but it can’t do what it was designed to do.

2. Infectious Friends

This is one of the most common viruses out there. It has many names and many different ways to infect, but it has one purpose: to transfer the virus on your computer to your friends. According to USA Today, computer users should remain diligent in checking their “Sent” e-mail folders and should watch their social network postings. If users notice that messages have been sent out and they weren’t the ones who sent them, they should contact their friends and warn them not to click on any links within the messages.

3. Computer Acting Sluggish

This can be a tough one to catch. This type of virus usually has an application running in the background. This application is utilizing extra computer resources, causing it to slow down. If you know how check the processes running on your computer and you know how to remove programs, you may be able to stop it. However, if it is well designed, it will have hidden files that will cause the virus to come back after it has been deleted.

4. Settings

Viruses that change the users’ settings can be very tricky. Laptop Magazine reports it may be something simple like changing the home page on your browser, and this is true, but that is usually only part of the problem. The virus may also have gone in and changed some of your settings — you may only be able to go to certain sites, or the Ctrl-Alt-Del command to enter the Task Manager may not work.

5. Computer Lock

This can be a bit scary. This is usually part of a greater virus, but it is maddening. You suspect you might have a virus and have decided to shut off your computer, restart it, or, for the more tech savvy, return to an earlier restore point, but you can’t. You try everything and find you must shut off your computer by killing the power. You lose unsaved information, and when the computer restarts, the virus reactivates itself.

Many of the viruses out there can be prevented by following McAfee’s antivirus tips. Of course, nothing can stop them all, and they are always evolving. The best way to protect your assets is to save often. Have an external backup device to store all important documents, and have multiple antivirus programs to catch the computer virus at any time during the backup process — it does you no good to store the virus to your backup.

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Learn 5 Indicators You Have a Computer Virus

Slow Streaming TV: How to Get the Best Possible Performance

Last Updated: January 10, 2014

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Watching TV without cable or satellite keeps companies like Netflix and Hulu at the forefront of the media news. But what are you supposed to do when dealing with slow streaming TV? What are the best ways to improve the performance of live online videos? Here are a few simple steps to take to improve your online video streaming performance.

More Bandwidth Always Helps

The easiest way to improve your video streaming performance is to bump up your Internet service to a faster speed. Netflix recommends at least a 3.0 megabits per second (Mbps) Internet connection to watch videos at DVD-level quality; a 5.0 Mbps service is the minimum recommended speed for HD quality. Many Internet service providers offer speeds up to 100 Mbps, which makes sense if everyone in your family wants to stream different HD movies simultaneously.

In some cases, those extra-fast Internet connections might not be available, especially in rural regions. Thankfully, there are other ways to optimize streaming video performance.

Improve Video Streaming on the Computer

It may be stating the obvious, but make sure to close any unnecessary web browser instances and chat apps when suffering from slow streaming TV. These extra apps stress out system resources that are better allocated for video performance. Use your smartphone for in-program chatting and social activity.

There are also a variety of freeware software video acceleration apps that optimize video streaming. These types of programs tend to work better with major video streaming sites like YouTube.

If possible, use a wired connection instead of your WiFi router when streaming video. The wired connection tends to be faster, especially if you are streaming on a device located a good distance from your wireless router.

While some of the methods used to optimize video streaming rely on spending money — especially upgrading your Internet service — experimenting with software video acceleration apps might improve things without the cash outlay, and you should always run a speed test to make sure you’re getting the most out of your Internet service. No matter your choice, it is a relatively easy task to improve slow streaming TV performance.

Photo credit: Flickr/Wonderlane

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Learn 5 Indicators You Have a Computer Virus

Are Public WiFi Hotspots Safe?

Last Updated: January 9, 2014

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Public WiFi hotspots continue to pop up everywhere. They can be found in restaurants and coffee shops, and they are standard in hotels. In most cases, public WiFi is offered as a free service to the establishment’s customers, but are these areas safe? The answer is, unfortunately, that most hotspots are not safe. They are set up to be shared with the public, and that means they are easily accessible — not only for customers, but for hackers as well. However, there are precautions you can take to make it harder for uninvited visitors to access your data.

Risky Hotspots

Many hotspots only require that you be within a certain range to connect to their network. While you are sitting there enjoying your espresso and typing away, a hacker could be outside in a car accessing all the information on your computer.

If you need to connect, make sure you get the correct information from the store or one of its employees. Just sitting down and connecting to what you think is the right network is dangerous. The hacker might not be sitting in his car but instead sitting at a table right next to you. If you are visiting Bob’s Bakery and connect to the network called Bob’s Bakery Free Internet, you may in for a surprise: a hacker might have created the virtual network, which means you are giving him all your information. Some companies have the WiFi information posted somewhere in the store, or they print it out on the customer’s receipt.

Dos and Don’ts

Don’t access any websites that contain financial or account information. Keyloggers can be installed over the network, so hackers can tell every key you press. If possible, don’t access websites that require you to type in passwords or other important information. Accessing basic email and checking the weather or news is usually okay, as long as you don’t have to type anything to get into those sites.

Do look for a lock symbol next to the network you are accessing. The lock symbol means it is a secure network. It is not hacker proof, but it requires more work and expertise for the hacker to access the network. Do make sure that firewalls and other antivirus software on your computer is active when connecting to a hotspot.

The VPN

The VPN, or virtual private network, is the best practice if you are using a business computer. A VPN helps to create a virtual network from the computer straight to the business server at your work. You will have to have the IT guys at your work install the software and setup up the VPN on your computer. Your company should train you to properly use a VPN. According to Network World, a simple piece of software can be downloaded off the Internet to override VPN signals. Individuals who have not been trained properly would not even know that their computer had been hijacked. So you still want to be careful with what information you access.

Hackers are a thriving breed and hard to get away from. Avoid public WiFi hotspots if you need to access, send, or receive important information over the Internet. You can purchase extra software to protect your computer if you find yourself accessing hotspots on a regular basis. The more protection you have, the better.

Photo credit: Flickr/woodleywonderworks