10 Signs Your PC May Have Been Hacked

Are you tired of dealing with your PC being infected or compromised? It can be frustrating, but instead of just fixing the problem, it’s important to understand why it happened in the first place. There are various reasons for this, and most of them can be traced back to our browsing habits.

In this article, I’m going to walk you through 10 signs that may indicate your PC has been compromised. By understanding these signs and what causes them, you can take responsibility for your actions and make changes to your browsing habits in order to prevent future infections. And if you’re tired of constantly fixing your relative’s computer, you might want to consider sharing this article with them as a gentle nudge.

A Simple Rule for Staying Safe Online: Change Your Passwords

Welcome to the modern world, where technology drives everything from our emails and social media accounts to our online banking. It’s an exciting time, but it also comes with its fair share of risks. So, how can we protect ourselves? Well, one golden rule stands out: change your passwords regularly. It may seem like a small thing, but it can make a world of difference in keeping your online accounts secure.

1. Is Someone Hijacking Your Email?

It’s hard to believe, but even in this day and age, email hijacking is still a problem. If your friends start complaining about receiving spam messages from you, it’s a clear sign that either your email account or your computer has been compromised. This usually happens when your PC gets infected with a sneaky malware that latches onto your browsing activity, putting your sensitive information at risk.

2. Your Password Has Changed

If you’ve ever gotten an email from a website where you have an account, informing you that your password has been changed, there’s a chance that you may have fallen victim to malware. This could be a result of downloading items from the internet without scanning them first. It’s important to note that these items don’t necessarily have to be suspicious in nature. Hackers have the ability to attach undetectable malware trojans to anything, including regular image files or mp3s.

When you download and open an image or MP3 file, your computer is immediately infected with a trojan. This means that your computer might be compromised without you even realizing it. On top of that, hackers have the ability to hack into your account by using brute force software and a list of passwords. So, it’s important to pay attention if you receive a notification saying that your password is not strong enough.

3. Online Stores Calling About Goods You Didn’t Order

If you enjoy shopping online, chances are you have your credit card information linked to your online shopping account. It’s not impossible for someone to hack into your account and use your information to make unauthorized purchases. While online stores like Amazon have implemented security measures to prevent this, the best way to protect yourself is by being mindful of your own account.

When it comes to shopping online, it’s important to be cautious and take steps to protect yourself. I’ve learned that hackers can take advantage of people who aren’t careful with their shopping habits. To keep your personal information safe, make sure you only shop online when you’re connected to a secure router. Public Wi-Fi, like the ones you find at coffee shops or hotels, are not considered secure and can leave you vulnerable to attacks.

Another important step is to keep an eye on your credit card statements. By checking them regularly, you can quickly spot any irregular activities and take action to protect yourself. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

4. Beware of Fake Antivirus Messages

It’s pretty normal to get a fake antivirus message on a computer that doesn’t have any protection. These messages will try to scare you by saying that your computer already has a virus. They’ll show you a list of virus names, making it look like a legitimate scan result. The message will tell you to download their full version to protect your computer. But if you do that, you’ll actually be installing the malware itself. It’s better to just ignore these scary messages.

Sometimes, instead of an antivirus message, you might receive pop-ups that ask you to download their free software to make your PC faster. It’s best to ignore these, including those that appear when none of your browsers are open.

5. Random Website Popups

Imagine this: you’re scrolling through your Facebook feed when suddenly, out of nowhere, a random pop-up appears on your screen. It claims you’ve won a prize and tells you to click on the pop-up to claim it. Yeah, right. Everyone’s that lucky on the Internet, aren’t they? Well, surprise surprise, it’s all fake. So here’s what you do: ignore these pop-ups and, while you’re at it, change your browser settings to block pop-ups while you’re browsing.

When you don’t allow pop-ups, you’re helping to protect your PC from adware invasions. This also means that you’re avoiding the risk of getting infected with malware. It’s important to note that nowadays, your PC can still get infected even if you don’t see any adware pop-ups. That’s because these pop-ups can hijack your browser after you’ve visited a harmful website. So be cautious about where you go online.

6. Your PC Gets Locked For Ransom

Ransomware is a type of virus that takes control of your PC and holds it hostage. If your PC gets infected with ransomware, you’ll receive a notification saying something like “Your computer has been locked due to suspicion of illegal content downloading and distribution.” Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do except pay to regain control of your PC.

When it comes to ransomware, the way they behave can vary. Some of them lock up all your files by encrypting them and demand payment in order to release them. If you don’t pay up within the given time frame, they might just delete the decryption key, leaving your files in permanent lockdown. And even if you do pay, there’s no guarantee that the hacker will actually unlock your PC. That’s why it’s important to focus on prevention rather than waiting for a cure.

7. Your Webcam Light Turns On On Its Own

Another way hackers can invade your privacy is through rats. No, not the cute little rodents, but a type of malware called Remote Administration Tools (RAT). This malicious program allows hackers to take control of your PC from a distance, often to activate and spy on your webcam. It’s because of RATs that we see so many videos of people’s webcams being secretly recorded and shared online, even on platforms like YouTube.

Did you know that there are malicious programs out there that can take control of your computer without you even realizing it? It sounds scary, I know! These programs are called Remote Access Trojans or RATs for short. They can do some really sneaky things to your computer.

For starters, a RAT can open a notepad on your computer and type out messages that it wants you to see. Then, it can use a voice speech feature to read those messages out loud to you. Imagine sitting at your computer and suddenly hearing a strange voice coming from your speakers reading messages that you didn’t write! It’s enough to give anyone a fright!

But that’s not all. A RAT can also do other things that are even scarier. It can listen to everything you say through your microphone, which means it can eavesdrop on your private conversations. It can steal the passwords that you have saved on your computer, giving the hacker access to your personal accounts. It can even modify, view, or stream your files without you knowing. And if that wasn’t enough, it can also log every keystroke you make on your keyboard, capturing sensitive information like your credit card numbers or social security details.

How do you get infected with a RAT, you might be wondering? Well, it’s usually because you weren’t careful when opening downloaded files. You see, these sneaky programs hide in innocent-looking files that you think are safe to open. But once you open them, the RAT springs into action and takes control of your computer. So, it’s important to always be cautious and make sure you trust the files you download.

But RATs aren’t the only thing you have to watch out for.

Have you ever noticed those annoying toolbars that show up in your web browser? They seem to appear out of nowhere, cluttering up your screen and making it harder to find what you’re looking for. These toolbars are often bundled with other software that you download. In the past, you had the option to choose whether or not to install them. But nowadays, they’re automatically enabled when you run the setup.

So, why should you be concerned about these toolbars? Well, for one, they can slow down your web browser, making it take longer to load web pages. They can also track your online activities and gather information about your browsing habits. And worst of all, some of these toolbars can even contain malware that can infect your computer.

So, the next time you’re installing a new piece of software, make sure to read every page of the setup process carefully. Look for any checkboxes or options that might indicate the installation of a toolbar and make sure to uncheck them if you don’t want it. And always be cautious when opening downloaded files, as you never know what could be lurking inside.

If you rush through the installation process, you might find yourself stuck with some pesky browser toolbars that you didn’t want. These toolbars can keep tabs on what you do online, redirect your searches, and make your computer run slower.

Here’s another thing to watch out for: if your computer seems to be taking forever to load without actually getting anywhere, it could be because there’s malware running behind the scenes. This sneaky software is busy collecting information from your computer, and it’s constantly using up your internet and slowing down your PC.

If you’ve noticed your computer slowing down, it could be because there are too many programs running in the background all at once. Some of these programs might even be running silently in the background, using up your computer’s power to secretly mine bitcoins.

10. Having Trouble Staying Connected to the Internet?

There are two possible reasons why your internet connection keeps getting disconnected: it could be a problem with your computer or an issue with your internet service provider (ISP). If you suspect that your ISP is not to blame, there’s a chance that you have a sneaky malware on your computer that is stealing your bandwidth. This malware creates a separate connection on your computer, which can interfere with your regular internet session and cause it to be unreliable.

Did you know that sometimes, even if you can easily access websites, you might still have trouble connecting to your internet messenger, such as Skype? It’s because hackers sometimes take advantage of your computer and use it as a proxy without you even realizing.