Twelve signs your computer has been hacked.
Cyber attacks have recently become a very popular problem, so everyone is worried about protecting their data.
To prevent your passwords or other important data from being stolen, you have to pay attention to any changes on your computer.
Your printer doesn't work properly, and you don't know what it means. Your webcam behaves unusually.
We're going to tell you about 12 important signs that your computer has been hacked and your data and pictures have been stolen.
Number twelve - the antivirus is switched off.
Antivirus programs are pretty hard to disable, even when you want to.
They have special safety protocols that ask you two or even three times if you are sure that you don't want the program to work.
So it's almost impossible that you turn it off accidentally.
The first thing that good hackers do is disable the antivirus, so that you can't detect the intrusion. But you are smarter than them, right???
So as soon as you notice that your antivirus is off, turn it back on and contact a specialist.
Number eleven - you receive fake antivirus warnings.
If you see antivirus warnings that look different or unusual, this is a clear sign of a hack.
Another bad sign is if you have a new antivirus you didn't install.
However before you start to worry, check if your old antivirus software was updated. Maybe it just looks different now.
Number ten - your passwords don't work.
If you can't access some of your accounts, and you're sure you didn't change your
passwords and forget about it, your computer has most likely been hacked.
Fortunately, most services have the two-factor authentication, so you can restore your passwords by having a code sent to your phone number.
Once you've done it, change passwords even for the accounts that apparently haven't been hacked yet.
Tell all your friends not to open messages from you, and not to go through the links sent from your accounts.
Number nine - your number of friends has grown.
If you see some people on your social network pages that you don't know, and there are many of them,
it's a clear sign that your computer, or at least your account, has been hacked.
Check the chats with your friends for spam messages.
Number eight - new icons appear on your dashboard.
When you launch your browser and notice new icons on your dashboard,
this might be a sign of the infiltration of some dangerous code onto your computer.
Don't run unknown applications if you don't want to make the hackers' job easier. Try to delete them from your computer if you can.
Number seven - the cursor moves on its own.
If you notice that your cursor is moving without your control and is highlighting something, it means your computer has definitely been hacked.
Someone is probably doing something at this very moment.
What you should do is disable the internet connection as soon as possible. Of course, after you finish watching this video, and like it.
This means disconnecting the ethernet cable or turning off your wireless router until a specialist arrives and fixes the problem.
Number six - your printer doesn't work properly.
You might be surprised, but cyberattacks influence not only the computer itself, but also your peripheral devices.
For example, if your printer refuses to print something out, it might be a worrying signal. Or, you're just out of paper. Who knows?
The same applies for all other devices connected to your computer.
Number five - you are redirected to different websites.
You should be alert if your browser keeps redirecting to different websites. Of course, maybe it's your own fault.
Do you remember visiting some suspicious-looking internet sites? If not, your system might have been hacked.
It's time to call a specialist
if you type something into a search engine and instead of Google pages, you go to another page
you don't know. The same goes for situations when you see too many pop-up windows.
Number four - your files are deleted by someone else.
This is a 100% sign of a hack. If you see that your folders are empty,
don't panic. There are some tools that can restore deleted files, so this is not the most pressing issue.
But the safety of your system is.
Number three - your data is on the Internet, even though you didn't put it there.
You've probably heard many stories in the news about celebrities whose photos were stolen and shared with the entire world.
This is a terrible situation to be in, and this can happen to anyone.
It's just that only celebrity stories end up in the newspapers. Hackers can start blackmailing you, threatening to share your information with your friends. YOUR NEXT
First take care of your credit cards.
Call your bank and tell them to block the cards that you have used to pay for something online. Only after your money is safe,
call a specialist that can deal with the safety problem. The stolen data can't be returned, so whatever is online stays online.
Try not to store files you don't want to be stolen from your computer.
Number two - there is unusual webcam behavior.
Check your webcam indicator. If it is on or blinking, make sure no applications are launched that require a webcam, such as Skype, FaceTime,
or others. If you don't see a reason for the webcam to be on, reboot the system and check again.
If the indicator is on again, you have a problem.
Disconnect from the internet and call a specialist.
Number one - your computer works very slowly.
If even the simplest operations take your computer a very long time to complete,
and if you notice a significant drop in the speed of your internet connection,
it might mean that someone hacked your computer. First, try to reboot your computer and check the performance again.
Maybe you just need a hardware upgrade. If nothing changes, launch the task manager and look for the processes that are eating your RAM.
Shut down all tasks that you can and see how well the computer works.
If you experience problems after that, well, you already know what you should disconnect, and who you should call.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
So let's sum up and repeat what you should do.
Warn your friends and other people to whom you sent emails that your computer has been hacked.
Tell them not to open messages from you and not to click on any links from you.
Tell your bank about a possible leak of your data. Find out how to protect your money.
Delete all unfamiliar programs, and also those you can't launch.
Install a reliable anti-virus program, and scan your system. Some companies make trial versions.
Change the passwords on all your accounts. If you still feel that the problem is not solved, ask a specialist.
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