5 signs your computer is broken – and what to do

Hackers is a busy pile that has over 300 million Computers are broken Every year – and there is a dizzying range of ways that can be disrupted by a computer or laptop. Criminals often, for example, use Phishing -attakiSending emails to persuade you to click on a malicious link, which then sets malicious software on the machine. In other cases, the evil of the company reveals your password that can be sold in a dark web. After they get control, hackers can do all sorts of damage, from espionage for you to theft of financial details such as credit card numbers. We look at the signs that your computer or laptop broke and the steps you should take if it is.

How to say whether your computer is broken

There are a number of signs that your PC may have been broken, some more obvious than others. These include Slow performanceOr your freezing or failure computer signs that the device is working hard on someone else.

You may notice the appearance of programs that you have not installed yourself, changes on your browser homepage, search engine or expansion or plague of unexpected pop -ups. Unexpected emails can be sent or received or your password has changed and unauthorized inputs or new accounts may appear. Your browser can act strange, redirecting you to unwanted websites and can be downloaded files with obscene for. And a warning from your antivirus pack that it has been identified and deleted malicious software may not mean that you really have everything clear, if you get repeated messages, perhaps the package will not be able to finish work.

Sign 1: sluggish performance

The widespread first sign that your PC has been broken is that its productivity is suddenly slowed down. Web sites can take a long time to download, and opening files or downloading apps can take more time than usual. The machine can freeze or cut. These are all signs that you may have malicious programs in the background on your PC, or that unauthorized programs consume system resources.

Sign 2: Unexpected programs or pop -ups appear

If the desktop appears programs that you have not installed, this is a strong sign that your computer or laptop has broken. You can also see on your screen huge numbers of pop-up windows, often pretending to be an antivirus pack that warns you that you have broken and suggest you click on them.

Sign 3: Changes in your browser

Another sign that your computer has been broken is a change in your browser settings. Your homepage may look different, or unwanted toolbar and extension may appear. The purpose of hackers is to force you to click on malicious web sites containing malicious software or sites that could steal your personal information.

Sign 4: Unusual Email Activity

Compromising PC user e -mail It is one of the most common ways to break your computer, and hackers then use an account to distribute malicious software or phishing. If you or your contacts notice suspicious emails coming from your email that is a strong sign that this happened.

Sign 5: Unauthorized login attempts

You can start receiving notifications from your e -mail provider or other account attempts that you did not make. If you notice an attempt to access your accounts from unfamiliar devices or places, most likely, hacker is guilty.

What if your computer is broken?

If you find that your computer or laptop has broken, you will need to act quickly. The first is to disconnect the car from the Internet to stop the hacker that has access.

Then you will need to go through a long and rather boring process of changing passwords on each individual application or service installed on your computer. And you need to remove any external storage to prevent further spread of malicious software and think about wiping your hard drive – of course, after maintaining everything. Finally, a very good idea to inform your contacts about what happened to make sure they are not victimized.

1. Disable and quarantine

If you find that your PC has been broken, the first thing you should do – and you have to do it immediately – it is to disconnect the machine and disconnect it from the Internet by switching off the Wi -fi through the settings of the machine. This prevents hacker to continue to control the computer remotely and means that they cannot collect more personal or financial information than they already have.

2. Change your passwords

It’s a little heart work, and it will probably be quite time consuming, but it is important to change all your passwords. You should start with bank or financial applications and trading sites – all that your financial details can have – and then go to email, FacebookOther social networks and the rest. Make sure your passwords are unique and difficult to guess and include upper and lower letters, numbers and characters

3. Delete external devices

If you have any USB -flesh -devices or external hard drives connected to the PC, now it’s time to disable them. First, go to the appropriate folder and click “Drop”. To be on the safe side, also a good idea to delete your computer’s hard drive – make sure you first support everything – and reinstall your operating system.

4. Run the full scanning of the system

There is no point in doing all this if your computer still has a threat and improved malicious software can often be hidden in system processes. Use a pack you trust-and of course, nothing that prompted you to use it through a pop-up window. Make sure this is full scanning, including hidden files and folders. If the package identifies something suspect, remove it immediately.

5. Report your contacts

If your computer has been broken, there is a high probability that criminals try to expand their attack, focusing on your contacts – perhaps sending them to them that encourage them to click on harmful links. This is a good idea to prevent all your email contacts, social media, etc., so as not to trust any suspicious message that seems to come from you.

How can you protect your PC from hackers?

Once your computer or laptop breaks you want to make sure it will never happen again – which means to follow some basic Cybersecurity practices.

Make sure you are updating your operating system and software, and they automatically install the latest security patches. This, of course, applies especially to your antivirus bag. Enable two -factor authentication in all your programs and services. You may be useful to use a virtual private network, especially if you use Public Wi -fi, and you can install a firewall. Keep all your files backup so that if something is repeated again, you have access to all your data. And make sure you will be cautious in the future – never click on any link you sent if you are absolutely sure they are safe.

Result

A broken PC or laptop can lead to serious consequences – from compromise your personal data to financial theft. Restoring everything to a regular process can be a time -consuming process, but at least it is usually possible. And if you fall, there are measures you can take to minimize the chances that it will happen again.