A prevalence of computer security threats means that it is more important than ever to secure your computer. Learn how to protect yourself from hackers, spam, and any other malicious software.
What are Rootkits?
Rootkits are programs that work in tandem to conceal data corruption, key-logging, and other security breaches of the computer’s operating system.
The computer user in search of an online rootkit scan (or free rootkit remover) most likely has the suspicion that a computer’s security is compromised. A slowing of operations, frequent system crashes or an unexplained drain on the Windows resources are all signs that there are potential problems with a computer’s operating system. If virus and adware scans fail to yield results, rootkits are the next likely culprits.
Introduction To Ransomware
Ransomware has emerged as one of the latest security threats, becoming an increasingly common variant of cyber crime. In this article, learn more about Ransomeware, what is it, and how you can protect yourself from it.
Just when you thought that the worst that cyber criminals can do is breach, corrupt or destroy your data, they come up with a new innovative approach to make your life more miserable and your data more vulnerable.
We've heard in the news how intruders hacked in an important system, threatening distributed denial of service attacks and extorting money from the victim in lieu of the safety of their data and business. But there is also the ability for hacker to encrypt files on avictim’s computer, unless the demands of the perpetrators are met. This kind of malware, due to its disposition of making data files inaccessible to the victim unless the demanded ransom is paid for, is known as ransomware.
The concept of ransomware is not an old one. It began in the late 1980's when a Trojan PC Cyborg was unleashed. After the infected computer booted a specified number of times, the Trojan kept a counter in the "autoexec.bat", encrypted the files names, and deleted the directories, causing chaos in the file system. It asked for 378 dollars to be delivered to an address in Panama.
Was That a Hacker?
The threat of being hacked is considerable – and when it actually happens, it becomes barely believable. After all, why would anyone want to hack you?
However, if you have the slightest piece of personal data stored on your PC, from a scanned certificate to a draft letter with your home address on it, information such as this can be used to steal your identity and borrow money in your name.
Preventative measures such as firewalls and anti-virus solutions are only as good as the definitions and updates they have installed; if malware has found its way onto your PC that might allow backdoor entry by malicious persons unknown, you need to be aware of the signs…
Probably the best and most reliable way to detect computer hacking is to get to know your computer. If it starts slowing down for no apparent reason, documents and icons are missing or moved from your desktop, or if emails appear in your outbox that you didn’t send, then you have been the victim of a hack.
You can quickly check if you are being hacked by rebooting your PC and disconnecting from the web, preferably by switching off your modem. If the PC seems to respond quicker, you will need to take steps to remove whatever backdoor malware has been used to invade your computer.
Presumably the virtual intruder made use of a Trojan in order to plant some malware on your PC that opens up a backdoor for them to access your computer. To check for this, you will need to run a virus scan straightaway – and don’t be surprised to find that your AV software has been disabled. Updating this as soon as possible is a good idea, although bear in mind that your erstwhile hacker may well be alerted when you go back online. Your priority should be installing a good quality firewall as described above before running a scan for malware and viruses.
You can also check for files that have been changed or updated using a tool like Last Changed Files which will scan your hard disk drive for the last 100 files to be updated. This is useful for finding out if any of your documents have been changed.
Until next time . . .
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