From the infamous Melissa virus in 1999 to the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017, these malicious programs have caused widespread damage and financial loss.  However, with advancements in cybersecurity and heightened awareness among users, one may question, are computer viruses still a thing.

In this article, we’re going to explore the current state of computer viruses and their impact on individuals, businesses, and society as a whole.  By examining recent trends, emerging threats, and preventive measures in place, we will determine whether computer viruses remain a significant concern or if they have become relics of the past.

Let’s find out.

What is a Computer Virus

In simple terms, a virus is a malicious program designed to replicate itself and infect computers without the user’s knowledge or consent.  These viruses can come in various forms, from harmless pranks to destructive attacks that can wipe out entire systems.

Just like a biological virus, a computer virus infects your computer system, causing harm and disrupting its normal functioning.  Computer viruses are created by hackers with the intention of gaining unauthorized access to personal information (your data), damaging files, or even taking control of your device.

As I mentioned before, viruses come in various forms and can be introduced into your system through infected emails, downloads from untrusted websites, or even when you connect your device to an infected external storage device.  Once a virus gets access to your systems, they start multiplying and infecting other files or programs on your computer without you being aware that any of it it is taking place.

Some viruses may lay dormant for weeks or months before triggering their harmful activities.  Protecting yourself against these threats is crucial in today’s highly interconnected world, which will be discussed later in this article.

Despite advancements in cybersecurity measures, computer viruses continue to pose significant risks.  Both on a personal and professional level.

The Evolution of Computer Virus

Computer viruses have come a long way since their humble beginnings, transforming from simple programs into sophisticated threats that can wreak havoc on our digital lives.

In the early days, computer viruses were relatively harmless, often created as experiments by curious programmers.

The idea of a computer virus came about in theory from a famous mathematician in the 1940s by the name of John von Neumann.  He published an article titled “Theory of Self-Reproducing Automa”, which was about the comparison of the human nervous system and the computer, and whether a code could cause a computer to stop operating.

This lent itself to early viruses such as The Creeper Program, The Rabbit Virus, and The Brain to be created.  All were created out of curiosity to see if a code could be created to self-replicate, and the different speeds it could do so.

These early viruses were much simpler compared to what hackers are creating these days.  

Once it was concluded that a code could self-replicate, programmers started creating viruses for more personal reasons like preventing others from illegally copying their software and other prevention mechanisms.

Virus infections back then were more on a local level where a floppy disk would get infected.  That infection would then get passed on to infect local files on the computer that floppy disk was loaded into.  That computer would then be considered out of commission until the user figured out how to get it fixed.

But as computer networks became larger and faster, connecting more computers together, hackers became more witty and sophisticated with the type of viruses they would create.  The LoveLetter Virus, for instance, is a more modern-day virus that spread via the Internet.

Created in 2000, The LoveLetter Virus depended on emails to go around and create havoc.  Its sole purpose was to wipe out all the files on a victim’s computer and create replicas of itself and also corrupted the contact list of the victim’s email account.

Years later, the Heartbleed Bug of 2014 targeted servers across the Internet.

At its core, Heartbleed exploited a flaw in OpenSSL.

OpenSSL is a commonly used encryption technology designed to protect sensitive data on websites.  This bug allowed hackers to potentially access usernames, passwords, credit card details, and other confidential information without leaving any trace behind.  The reason it garnered so much attention was because OpenSSL is widely used by popular websites and services which meant that millions of people were at risk.

There were many other smaller viruses over the years that operated similarly to the ones mentioned here, they just didn’t do as much damage.

Today’s viruses are designed to exploit vulnerabilities in our operating systems and applications, allowing hackers to gain unauthorized access to our personal information or even take control of our devices.  They can be delivered through email attachments, malicious websites, or infected downloads, making it easier than ever for them to infiltrate our systems undetected.

The Impact of Computer Viruses on Society

In today’s digital age, where technology plays a central role in our lives, computer viruses have had a significant impact on society, which should be of no surprise based on the information we have provided so far.

Computer viruses were created with the intention to disrupt computer systems, steal sensitive information, and take possession of our data.  As a result, individuals, businesses, and even governments have faced various challenges due to these cyber threats.

The first negative impact has been financial.  Computer viruses have caused financial losses for individuals and organizations alike.

From personal bank accounts being hacked to large corporations losing valuable data or intellectual property.  The damages of these attacks have been devastating, and have cost millions of dollars over many years.

Additionally, on an individual level, society has seen an increase in identity theft cases as hackers use viruses to gain unauthorized access to personal information such as credit card information, or social security numbers to steal someone’s information.

The second negative impact is that of our time and our level of productivity. 

Here’s what I mean.

When our computers become infected with a virus, or other malware they often slow down or crash altogether.  Leaving us with a subpar-performing computer to use.  Instead of spending time using the computer for what we needed it for, we’re now spending that time troubleshooting our computer.

The reality is that an infected system becomes sluggish, making simple tasks like opening files or browsing the internet frustratingly slow.

Not only is this a waste of valuable time, but it also leads to frustration and decreased motivation for work.  Eventually, your computer will start to experience frequent crashes due to the virus infection.  This can and does result in data loss or corruption of files (virus attaching itself to other files), which further hampers productivity.

Again, your time is being spent troubleshooting the issue and trying to recover data, instead of doing productive work.

Modern Day Cyber Security Measures

Given that viruses and malware have been creating so many issues for users alike in today’s interconnected world, cyber security has become more crucial than ever before.

With the increasing number of online threats and data breaches, it is essential to implement some proactive modern-day cyber security measures to safeguard your digital presence.  From individuals to organizations, everyone needs to be aware of the potential risks involved with being online and take proactive steps toward protecting themselves.

Here are some tips that we recommend.

Strong Password Management

Gone are the days when a simple password would suffice.  Nowadays, it is recommended to use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters for added complexity and security.  It is also recommended that you change your passwords at least once a year, even if it’s changing just a few characters in that password.

This makes it harder for hackers to figure out or guess what your password could be.

Two-Factor Authentication

Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security by requiring an additional verification step beyond just entering a password.  This could be something like receiving a text with a unique set of numbers or using an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, or other authenticator apps and software.

Another important measure is keeping software and devices up-to-date with the latest patches and updates.

Anti-Virus Software

This is probably the first measure to take. 

Having an antivirus of any kind installed on your computer in my opinion should be a prerequisite to getting access to the Internet.  That’s how important it is to have an anti-virus installed on your computer.

Anti-virus software will act as a shield against viruses, malware, and any other malicious programs, in real-time, that proves to be detrimental to your computer and overall organization.  So get an anti-virus software installed on your computer today, if you don’t already have one.

Debating which anti-virus software is the best one to get, is beyond the scope of this article.  They all do a good job, so it’s best to get one and then upgrade to another, at a later time, if needed.  Recommended anti-virus software to start with is Norton, McAfee, and Bitdefender.

There are many more measures you can take to ensure cyber security.  However, these three will ensure you’re on solid ground.

Conclusion

So, are computer viruses still a thing?  Absolutely they are very much so a thing, and still wreaking havoc among computer users worldwide. 

In fact, it’s even more prevalent today, because of the vast computer network that we all love and use every day, the Internet.  The Internet today creates opportunities for everyone, both good and bad.  There are tons of opportunities that the Internet has provided for us to run businesses, be connected, and conduct all sorts of legal commerce.

It also provides a ton of opportunities for hackers as well.

The more sophisticated our online world becomes, the more sophisticated viruses and malware will become.  That’s just the nature of the online space, and that will always be the case.  Our best bet is to always be proactive in combating viruses and malware by preventing them from happening.

Following the tips provided in the Security Measures section above will keep you one step ahead of hackers, such as having viable anti-virus software installed.

You see viruses spread from computer to computer, as long as they are connected to one another via a computer network, and Wi-Fi connections are no exception.  Computer viruses does spread through wi-fi connections, just the same as they do with wired connections.

This article will discuss how computer viruses can spread through Wi-Fi and what you can do to protect yourself against them.

What are Computer Viruses?

Computer viruses are malicious codes that can cause a lot of damage to computers, resulting in loss of data, slow performance, and stolen information.

The way viruses work is that they attach themselves to another program and that’s how they run and do harm to your computer.  A program could be anything, a Word document, or even a PDF file.  Let’s say you receive an email with an attachment to it.  That attachment has a virus, and you open that attachment, not knowing that it has a virus.

The virus runs and spreads to your computer and all its files.  Now, you have an infected computer on your hands.

This is a common way that many users become victims of a virus attack, it’s called Phishing.  My suggestion is to not open any emails if you’re unsure who the sender is, and if it seems like spam or a weird-looking email. 

Even if you do open the email out of curiosity, don’t open any attachments or click on any links in that suspicious-looking email.

Once a virus infects a computer by infecting the files, it then makes copies of itself to be redistributed to another host.  Examples of other hosts are other computers or devices connected to that infected computer via a network.

This is why computer viruses are so dangerous because they can compromise an entire organization’s network, simply by spreading from host to host.  With the hosts being computers.

The Difference Between Virus and Malware

You may hear people using malware and virus interchangeably at different times, thinking that they’re the same thing.  But in actuality, they are different, but similar in some ways. 

Let me explain.

The term malware encompasses any type of malicious code that’s created to do harm to your computer.  This can include a virus, ransomware, Trojan horse, Worm, etc.  Malware covers all the different types of malicious codes.  A virus is a type of malware, but malware doesn’t have to be a virus, it can be something else that is causing problems for your computer.

Malwarebytes is an awesome product that can eradicate all types of malware from your computer if your computer were ever to be infected.  I use them all the time for my own computer systems as well as for my clients.

To give a better visual display of what a computer virus is, here’s a quick video that gives a good explanation.

How Do Viruses Spread Through Wi-Fi?

Just like with a wired Ethernet connection, a virus can spread via Wi-Fi just the same.

More than anything else, what needs to be understood here is the concept by which a computer virus can be spread from one computer to another.  The method by which a computer is connected to a network doesn’t matter as much.

Here’s what I mean.

Once a computer is connected to a particular network, let’s say your internal office network, that computer receives what is known as an IP (Internet Protocol) address.  This IP address gives your laptop, smartphone, iPad, etc. an identity.  The router of your office network then grants your computer access to the World Wide Web, where all types of malware are lurking, just waiting to attack any vulnerable devices they can find.

So let’s take this a step further with Wi-Fi, as the connection protocol.

You get two new office laptops that you have decided to connect to your office’s Wi-Fi with a WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) password.  I would hope you have a WPA2 password protecting your Wi-Fi network, that’s usually a given.  But if not, that’ll be the first thing you need to address right away before doing anything else.

We’ll talk more about that in a sec, but for now, let’s move on.

Your new laptops have been assigned IP addresses of 192.168.1.5 and 192.168.1.6, respectfully.

These new laptops are now connected to your network and are sharing files on the network that other computers are connected to.

Now, laptop A has contracted a virus through a Phishing attack.  The user opened an attachment from an unscrupulous email and activated a virus to spread to all their files and programs.  This same infected laptop opened a document that resides on the company’s server, made some modifications, and saves the document back to the server.

Laptop B, then goes in and opens that now infected file on the server, opens that document, and activates the virus.  Now laptop B has been infected, and possibly the company’s server.

In our example here, these are both computers connected to the network via Wi-Fi and both were victims of virus attacks.  These types of attacks happen all the time, all over the Internet.

Different Ways to Protect Your Wi-Fi Network

Are you worried about your Wi-Fi security?

It’s understandable to be cautious when it comes to protecting your network, particularly your Wi-Fi network.  Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your network is safe from intruders and malicious software.

To start off, ensure you always have the latest security patches installed on all of your devices connected to the internet.  This will help prevent hackers from accessing sensitive data on these devices.  It may not be the best line of defense, but it is a starting point to add to your Wi-Fi arsenal.

Also, create a secure password for your Wi-Fi network so that only authorized people can access it.  This is what I was mentioning earlier, as a very important step to take before doing anything else.

Avoid using easily guessed words or phrases for your passwords.  Instead, opt for a combination of letters, numbers, and a few special characters that will be hard to crack or figure out.  The harder it is for unauthorized individuals to get access to your Wi-Fi, the better it is for you.

As I have hinted at earlier with the laptop example, make sure your Wi-Fi network is secured with a WPA2 password and not just a WPA password.  The reason for this is that WPA2 has higher encryption.  Which means harder to break into.

Every computer on your network, whether they’re wireless or wired should be protected with a third-party anti-virus program.  This is a proactive method to prevent your systems from getting infected.

I’ve already mentioned Malwarebytes as a good choice to remove viruses.  Additionally, the 3 anti-virus applications that I would recommend are Norton 360, McAfee Total Protection, and Bitdefender Total Security.

Final Thoughts

As you can see based on what I’ve presented in this article, we can conclude that computer viruses do spread through Wi-Fi, and can be done in several ways.  Understanding how computer viruses are transferred will help you to see that a virus can be spread from computer to computer, regardless of how it’s connected to a particular network.

As long as your computer is connected to a network, whether by Ethernet or Wi-Fi, a virus can be transferred to or from that device, regardless of its connection protocol.

Armed with this knowledge, your focus should be on taking proactive measures to protect your Wi-Fi network and your Wi-Fi computer.  Doing regular updates is a great place to start, as it helps make your Operating system less vulnerable to virus attacks.

Ensure that you have reliable, third-party anti-virus software installed on your computer, that does real-time safekeeping against any potential virus that may be lurking on the Internet.  Another safety measure that I didn’t mention earlier is investing in a network firewall to keep out any unwanted traffic into your network.

This will take your protection game to a whole other level but does require a little more tech-savviness to manage.

You can purchase a pretty good firewall online at an affordable price that’ll do a good job of keeping your Wi-Fi network protected.

In closing, treat your Wi-Fi computer as you would your Ethernet-connected computers, as it relates to computer viruses.  It is just as susceptible to being infected with viruses and other malware, as any other device that has access to the Internet.

To not have an antivirus installed on your computer is essentially browsing the internet naked.  It’s the equivalent of walking on broken glass without shoes.

You are guaranteed to get injured.

I know what was a little excessive of an analogy, but I wanted to drive home the point of how important it is to have antivirus software installed on your computer.

In this article, I’ll give you 3 reasons why it’s a bad idea to not have an antivirus installed, and delve in a little more as to why that is the case.

Let’s dive in.

Antivirus Protects You from Malware

Malware is a type of software that can harm your computer or steal your personal information.  Your antivirus software can help to protect you from the likes of malware.  

Without antivirus protection, you’re vulnerable to all sorts of malware, including viruses, spyware, and ransomware. 

Viruses can delete your files or damage your hard drive.  Spyware can track your online activity and steal your personal information.  Ransomware can encrypt your files and demand a ransom to decrypt them.

Antivirus software provides an important layer of protection against malware.  It can keep your computer protected in real time to prevent a malware attack from happening.  Although Windows Security can do a pretty decent job for PC-based computers, to keep your system protected, I’d recommend that you invest in third-party software.

One such anti-virus application is Norton antivirus.  I’ll talk more about why I recommend them later in the article.

For now, just be sure to install a third-party antivirus application as soon as possible.

You’re only putting yourself at risk for a malware attack, by not having antivirus software installed.  Even if you’re careful about what you download and only visit trustworthy websites, it only takes one infected email or malicious ad to infect your computer.  And you don’t know when you might click on the “wrong link”.

Once your computer is infected…it’s a wrap. 

The malware can spread to other computers on your network, as well as any devices you connect to your computer (like external hard drives or USB flash drives).  And the recovery process is very expensive.  Prevention is better than cure is what I always say.

And the best way to “prevent” malware attacks is to install antivirus software.

Helps to Avoid Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are one of the most common ways that people have their personal information stolen.  This is when someone tries to trick you into giving them your personal information, like your credit card number or password.

They might do this by sending you an email that looks like it’s from a company you trust, or by creating a fake website that looks like a real one.

There are a few simple things you can do to prevent a phishing attack from happening.

Obviously, the first thing that you want to do is install an antivirus program on your computer. 

Having antivirus software installed on your computer will alert you when there’s probable cause for a phishing attempt.  If you don’t have an antivirus installed, there’s no way to know if the email or website is real or not.  That’s why it’s important to have one installed, so you can stay safe online. 

The next best thing that you can do to prevent becoming a victim of phishing is to be very careful with your emails.  If you receive an email from someone that you do not know, or which looks suspicious, delete it immediately.

Many people believe that as long as they don’t download anything, they can’t get a virus. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.  Hackers/Scammers can also create fake websites as I mentioned before, that look like legitimate sites but actually collect your personal information.

So, my third and final tip here is to be careful with the websites you’re visiting, and what information you exchange with those websites.

But by having a solid antivirus program installed on your computer, your risk of a phishing attack reduces significantly.

More Susceptible to Attacks

This one is a no-brainer.  But let’s get into the psychology behind how this can affect you.

You may think that since you only visit safe websites and don’t click on any suspicious links, you’re in the clear.   But no, this is not the case.

Even the safest internet users can be susceptible to attacks.

If you don’t have an antivirus installed, your computer is more vulnerable to malware and other security threats.  And depending on how bad the attack is, you could end up paying thousands of dollars in recovery, either to recovery experts, to the hackers themselves, or both.

Ransomware anyone?

Even if you are careful about the websites you visit and the links you click on, malicious software can still find its way onto your computer.  Once it’s there, it can wreak havoc on your system, steal your personal information, and even hold your files for ransom.

Don’t take chances with your computer’s security.  Make sure you have an antivirus program installed and running at all times.

As I’ve mentioned before, prevention is better than cure.  Having an antivirus will keep you ahead of the game, in real-time.

I Recommend Norton Antivirus

Norton Antivirus is a great choice because it offers comprehensive protection against all types of malware, including viruses, spyware, and adware.  It also has a variety of features that make it easy to use, such as a simple interface and automatic updates.

I also like Norton because it’s light in terms of how much of your system resources it uses on your computer, while it’s running.  There are many other antivirus programs that are heavy, and slow your computer down.

Plus Norton’s reputation alone precedes it. 

Norton has been around since the 90’s when it was acquired by Symantec to develop antivirus for DOS(Disk Operating System) programs.

And it’s been kicking butt against viruses and malware ever since then.

Norton also has a variety of features that make it easy to use, such as a user-friendly interface.  So novice of computer users can download and install Norton in a matter of minutes, and up and running, with full protection.

I recommend Norton Antivirus because it’s reliable and effective in protecting your computer from threats.  So download Norton today, and you’ll be one step closer to preventing your computer from getting attacked by malware.

And it’s not just for individuals either, organizations are also targets.  Businesses and organizations have “big money” potential for cyber criminals, so they are more than willing to put in the extra effort to go after these entities.

Before going any further, let’s talk formalities for a minute, and define social engineering.  It is a type of attack where individuals are tricked into revealing their personal information or performing actions that compromise their security.  Most of this takes place via spam emails that look legit.

This is called Phishing, as cyber criminals send out spam emails to “phish” for information.

As social engineering attacks become more widespread and sophisticated, it is important to be aware of the many dangers involved.  Let’s learn more about social engineering and some steps you can take to protect yourself.

Examples of Social Engineering Attacks

Phishing

The most predominant form of social engineering is Phishing.  I mentioned earlier that Phishing is the process of sending spam emails to gain information.  But let’s talk more about what this all means.

Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details.  This is done by the hacker disguising themselves as a trustworthy entity in electronic communication (i.e. email).  Here are some examples of what I mean:

“Phishers” love to use email messages to scam you, and this is what we ask users to be vigilant with all the time.  But they can also use instant messaging and social media platforms to try and trick people into revealing their personal information.

The reason cybercriminals use phishing attacks is that they are relatively easy to carry out and very effective in obtaining sensitive information.  Organizations can protect themselves against phishing attacks by educating their employees about the dangers of phishing and implementing security measures such as firewalls and anti-virus software. 

You can learn more about how organizations can protect themselves against Phishing, by reading my recent article on the topic.

Malware

Most people have heard of malware, and have a good idea of what it is.  Put simply, malware is bad for you and your computer.  But to give a formal definition for the fancy types, malware is a type of software that can be used to harm or disable computers and computer networks.

Malware includes viruses, ransomware, spyware, and Trojans.  These programs can be installed on computers through phishing attacks (which we just talked about), malicious websites, or clicking on an email link. Once installed, the malware can steal information, damage files, or even take control of the computer. Malware can also be used to launch cyber attacks against other organizations.

The thing with most malware that makes it so dangerous is that it’s difficult to detect.  Using security software like Malwarebytes can definitely help with that.

The programs can often hide deep inside a computer’s operating system or network infrastructure. This makes them hard to find and remove. 

One of the best ways to protect your computer from malware is to be aware of the different methods hackers use to distribute their malicious software.  With social engineering, it can be a bit difficult to detect.

You see hackers are finding more sophisticated ways to garner your information and deceive you so they can install malware on your computer.

To give an example…

Say a hacker might send an email that appears to be from a friend or colleague, asking you to open an attachment or visit a website.  Should you fall for this tactic/scam and install the malware, the hacker can gain access to your computer and steal your data.

Another common method of distributing malware is through infected websites. If you visit an infected website, the malware can automatically download to your computer without you even realizing it.

Baiting

In the simplest of terms, baiting is the act of providing false information or promises to lure victims to exploit.  Pretty bad stuff I know.

False information could be in the form of a false social security number or credit card number.  It can also be in the form of a Trojan horse program that downloads onto a victim’s computer after they have opened an email attachment or clicked on a link sent by a scammer.

The danger with baiting is that it’s often difficult to tell if you’re being baited or not.

Hackers are getting better and better at disguising their attacks as legitimate communications.  Once they have your personal information, they can use it to steal your identity, your money, or even launch cyber attacks against other organizations.  All under your information.

Phishing, Malware, and Baiting aren’t the only way social engineering can happen.  They just happen to be the most common attacks of social engineering.

Here’s a fun but scary video of how sophisticated scammers are getting with social engineering:

The Risks Organizations Face with Social Engineering

There are many risks organizations face when it comes to social engineering attacks.  One of the main dangers is that social engineering attacks can be very successful in compromising an organization’s security.

In fact, social engineering attacks are the most common methods used by cybercriminals to gain access to an organization’s networks along with their sensitive data.

An organization’s reputation could also be at risk, due to social engineering attacks.  Imagine if a hacker was able to compromise an organization’s internal network and gain access to confidential information that’s not meant for the public to see.

This could be used as a source of blackmail by the hacker to release that information without permission, which can then lead to negative publicity and loss of trust from customers and clients.

Lastly, social engineering attacks can be costly for organizations.

This one should be the most obvious, as the main reason cybercriminals commit cyber crimes is because of the monetary gains.  Organizations, businesses, and entities usually have more money than individuals.  So cybercriminals have more of an incentive to target organizations.

This is why cybercriminals put so much effort into sending out phishing emails because they work.  

Even if an organization has security measures in place to protect against social engineering attacks, those measures may not be effective if employees are not properly trained on how to identify and avoid them.

Effects of Social Engineering on Society

The dangers of social engineering are twofold. First, it can be used to steal information or commit fraud. Second, it can be used to create chaos or mayhem in our lives.  This is both on a personal and professional level.

“Social engineers” can manipulate people into doing things they would not ordinarily do, such as revealing passwords, clicking on malicious links, or participating in hate campaigns.

Social engineering is a growing threat to society and poses a serious risk to businesses and individuals.  As I mentioned before, hackers are becoming more sophisticated in their attacks, so we often don’t have a clue we’re being hacked, when it’s happening.

It is important to be aware of the dangers of social engineering and take steps to protect yourself, by being informed.  Here are a few tips to always keep in mind and protect yourself:

• Always be cautious when opening unknown emails, clicking links, or responding to messages from unknown senders.
• Don’t share your personal information or passwords with anyone, unless you’re certain that the request is legitimate.  The request could be via email, phone, or in person.
• Use strong passwords for your accounts, and change them often.  
• If you can get two-level authentication on your accounts to log in, use them wherever they’re available
• On your social media accounts, avoid stating where your location is on your profile.  Cybercriminals can use this information to learn more about you and your personal information.

These are the reasons social engineering is dangerous because it can be used to exploit people’s trust and gullibility.  Unfortunately, that’s the world we are living in today, and we need to be proactively vigilant in protecting ourselves.

The effects of social engineering on society are not limited to financial loss only.  They can also cause emotional distress and humiliation for their victims, which can be more catastrophic than the financial loss in some cases.

Final Thoughts

So as we can see, social engineering is a dangerous tool that can do harm to us in more ways than one.    

It can be used to gain access to confidential information or to install malware on a computer.  It can also be used to exploit people’s trust and confidence.  In order to protect yourself from social engineering attacks, you should be aware of the techniques that attackers use, and you should always be skeptical of unsolicited requests for information or help.

Social engineering attacks aren’t just limited to online.  Cybercriminals are finding more sophisticated ways to get information via phone and even in person.  So be proactive by being aware.  Keep your computer security software up-to-date, and make sure that you have strong passwords and user accounts.

No one likes it when their computer or network is contaminated with malware.  How malware spreads, can sometimes be a bit of a mystery to some users, as most people would see that their computer is acting weird and they don’t know why.  Questions like…” why is my computer moving so slow?” or “does my computer have a virus or something?” starts to surface, and you have no idea how it happened.

I’ll be focusing more on how malware spreads, and what you can do about it.

Before we go any further, I’d like to give some substance to the term “malware”, so you can get a better understanding of what it is.  Malware is software whose primary purpose is to cause harm to your computer and network.  Whether in the form of phishing to steal your information, or a virus to cause your computer to crash, the outcome is the same, bring harm to your computer.

Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be more informed about malware and what to do to prevent it from infecting your systems.  Now let’s get into the top ways malware can spread from computer to computer.

Storage Devices

A common way that malware can spread from device to device is through storage devices like external hard drives or USB flash drives.  We all tend to want to pack as much data as possible on our external hard drives or USB drives, and not think much of what we’re putting on there.

Then take that same device and plug it into another computer, without much thought.

Well if any of the files on your hard drive happens to be infected with malware of any kind, that device is considered “infected”.  The moment you start plugging that device into other computers, you’re now infecting those other computers with that device.

Ensure that you have antivirus software that does a scan of the drive on your computer before you plugin that device to transfer data.

Spam Emails

This is one of the main ways malware spreads.  Hackers love to send spam emails because they work.  Users are easily enticed to click on a link they weren’t sure about but wanted to explore a bit to see where that link will take them.  Heck, I’ve even fallen for this a few times, and I’m a techie.

So anyone can fall prey to this particular tactic. 

The two types of malware that get sent through spam are Ransomware and Trojans.  Both of which can be dangerous and very expensive if you get infected by them.    

So please be careful NOT to open emails that you are not sure about.

This falls under the category of Phishing, which I wrote about and mention a few tips on how to not become a victim of a phishing attack.

Downloading Bad Software

Downloading bad software from the internet is a sure way to spread malware to your computer.  By “bad software”, I’m talking about software that was illegally pirated or cracked so you can get it for free.

Websites that are notorious for housing this bad software are torrent sites.  Torrent sites are websites that allow you to download software and other types of data from other users who have shared that data on the internet from their server. 

However, torrent sites are very credible.  The source from which you are downloading software or data could have all sorts of infected files associated with the files you are downloading.

So again, if you are going to download unauthorized software or data from these types of websites, make sure you have some form of security software installed to scan these files before you open and use them.

Hacked Social Media or Email Accounts

Have you ever received a weird private message from one of your friends on social media?  Or an email came to you from one of your friends but seems like it was a bit bizarre.  The email you received is asking you to check out some links they’d like you to see.

And it’s usually associated with money.  Like a cool way to make some money fast, or something of that nature.  Or maybe it’s trying to send you to an inappropriate site.

These are examples of accounts that were hacked, and the hacker is then sending messages to all the contacts, pretending to be that person.  If this happens to you, and you received one of those weird emails from your friend or colleague, contact them using other means, and verify that it was in fact them who sent the message.

The thing is, hackers are smart enough to actually keep interacting with you if you reply to that message, and will continue to play the role of your “friend”.  They’ll continue to play along and say things like “yeah it’s pretty cool, check it out” (talking from experience here…and not proud of it).

So don’t attempt to communicate with them through that same channel.  Instead, try calling or texting that friend or colleague to verify it’s them.  And say “hey I got this message from you, was it you that sent it?”, and let them tell you for sure.

Now let’s move on to identifying the different kinds of malware out there.

Types of Malware

There are many types of malware that are out there, but I’m going to share the most common ones that do the most harm. 

Computer Virus

This is the most common type of malware you will come across and hear about.  A computer virus is a program that’s created to alter the way a particular program is operated, usually in a bad way.  It essentially replicates itself by inserting its own codes into that program.  Now that infected program infects all other programs that are affiliated with it.

This cycle continues until an entire system is compromised with infected files.

Common signs to know that your system is infected with a virus are:

• Altered performance:  A particular program is not running like it normally does.  Usually, you’ll notice that the program is slow to respond, non-responsive, or a combination of the two.
• Pop-ups: Not as common today as in the past, but pop-ups are a dead giveaway that your computer is infected with a virus.
• Drivers Don’t Work: Software that allows your computer to communicate with the hardware is called drivers.  Examples could be drivers for a printer/scanner or even drivers for the Operating System.  A virus can affect these drivers and prevent your hardware (i.e. printers, scanners, hard drives) to work.

Ransomware

As I’ve mentioned before, this type of malware has been creating all types of havoc for businesses and Government entities alike in the past recent years.  Ransomware is malicious software that locks you out of your computer and/or network by encrypting the files.  And the only way to un-encrypt those files is to pay the hacker a ransom, usually in the form of Bitcoin.

I believe this is one of, if not the most dangerous and expensive form of malware.  We’re talking entire companies get shut down because their data has been encrypted by ransomware.  And the crazy thing is you still put your company at risk by paying the ransom amount that is demanded.

Because the reality is that the attacker still can have access to files if they have the “key” to unlock those encrypted data. 

The best approach to solving this issue is to rebuild from your clean backups.  This is why it’s so important to always have continuous backups going.

The other important thing to understand about ransomware is that it’s initiated by the user, most likely from an email of some kind.  Here’s a video that gives a pretty good breakdown of ransomware and what we can do to better protect ourselves.

Spyware

Although we don’t hear much about this particular malware, it’s still alive and well.  Spyware operates a little in stealth mode.  It’s malicious code designed to gather information from your device.  That information is then brought back to the hacker who can then use that information to do “bad things”.

As long as you’re connected to the internet (which…let’s be honest, all of us are) you’re at risk of some form of spyware.

Here are two main ways hackers can use spyware to get on to your computer (there are many more of course):

1. Trojans:  This is also a type of malware that I mentioned before.  Hackers will disguise a Trojan software to make it look like it’s legit and safe to download.  Users then download this software, thinking all is well, and then discover their systems are infected later on. Sometimes it’s hard to see with the naked eye, but what you can pay attention to is the source you’re downloading that software from.
2. Adult and Gambling Websites: These types of sites are filled with all types of ads and malicious codes that can seriously infect your computer with all types of spyware.  Interacting with these types of websites almost guarantees your computer gets infected, unless you have protective measures in place.  Such protective measures would include having an antivirus installed to block spyware…possibly even block the entire website.  

How to Protect Against Malware

Now that we’ve covered several areas on how malware spreads, let’s change gear a bit and talk about how you can protect yourself against malware.

The first and most obvious protection I would recommend is installing security software that acts as a barrier between your computer and the internet.  There are many to choose from, however, the ones that I would recommend are Malwarebytes, Norton, Bitdefender, or Kaspersky.

Anyone of these security software will give you the protection you need to ward off malware.

Also, Malwarebytes is the only security software that I know of that you can install other security software alongside it, on the same machine.  Most security software/antivirus does not play well with each other when you put them on the same machine.

You can use the duo combination of Malwarebytes and another security software to make it a one, two punch to protect against malware.

Updates are important as well.  Ensure both your security software and your Operating System are receiving automatic updates.  Updates are the patches used to cover up the holes hackers exploit to infect your machines with malware.

The next protection method I have mentioned before is to NOT click on links from unrecognized emails.  This one I can’t stress enough because it’s so important.

This is a primary method hackers use to infect your computer.  If you’re not sure, verify the source manually by doing a little research, or ask your tech person what you should do.

Finally, only download software from reputable websites that you can trust, even if you have to pay for it.  In fact, if you have to pay for that software, it’s probably a good chance it’s legit and coming from a trusted website.  It’s the “free stuff” that’ll get you because they come riddled with all types of malware.

So be vigilant, be smart and be proactive to protect against malware.  Doing so will reduce your chances significantly of becoming a victim of a malware attack.

Phishing can be dangerous because it can lead to the theft of personal information, such as passwords and account numbers, which none of us really wants.

But let’s look at phishing from an organizational point of view. It’s more lucrative for cybercriminals to attack an entire organization than it is for them to go after just one individual.

So the main question here is…How to prevent phishing in your organization?

The reality is that cybercrime is something we all have to deal with, as long there are computers connected to the internet.  It comes with the territory, and it sucks.

That’s the bad news.  But there is good news as well.

You can be proactive to prevent yourself and your organization from becoming a victim of phishing.  Let’s see what steps we can take to do just that.

3 Ways to Prevent Phishing

There are of course many ways to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of phishing.  But I wanted to give you three here that I thought were the most impactful.

Be a Proactive User

First, let’s start with you, the user.

Many of us browse aimlessly on the internet and get trigger-happy and click on links as they get sent to us.  It’s like we can’t help ourselves and simply have to click that “blue hyperlink” that turns our mouse into a pointing finger when we hover over it.

But instead of clicking that link without even thinking about it, let’s do some verification.

Most phishing attacks happen via email.  The scammer will send you something that looks legitimate and you think nothing of it and click on the link.  Two ways you can verify the legitimacy of that email and link.  The first is to check the URL of that link BEFORE clicking by hovering your mouse over that link and a pop up will come up to show the URL

If that first option is not working, the second way to verify is to try and open the home page of that URL in another tab or browser (I’d recommend doing so in an incognito or in-private window).

If you recognize the website or it comes up without an issue, you should be okay.  You might be asking, “well how would I know what the URL is if I’m not able to see it when I hover over the link with my mouse?”  That’s a great question.

Simply open Google and look up the company, institution, or entity that’s being mentioned in the email.  You will get results about that company and how to get to it.

So before you click on that link verify, verify, verify…

Install Antivirus Software

Security software has come a long way to be vigilant against phishing.  There are many antivirus application to choose from, as many of them has included anti-spam and anti-phishing as part of their offering.  So this can be an overwhelming decision to make if you’re someone who doesn’t know what to look for.

So to be helpful here, I’ll provide you with a few products that I’d recommend using to defend against phishing.  There are several options for you to choose from, but I’m going to provide you with  a few that I would recommend:

1. Bitdefender: Considered a global cybersecurity leader, Bitdefender provides solutions that prevent phishing in your organization. Phishing attacks can be very sophisticated and sometimes difficult to detect, but Bitdefender’s anti-phishing solution uses a combination of technologies including machine learning, email monitoring, and URL filtering to identify and block phishing emails.
2. Norton Antivirus: This antivirus has become a trusted household name, as it relates to cybersecurity.  Norton is one of the first names we think of when we think of virus protection and other forms of malware.  Well, they also do pretty well in the antiphishing area, and I would recommend them.
3. Avast: This is another antivirus that I would recommend.  Avast antivirus and antiphishing programs can definitely help protect your organization from malware and other online threats.  Avast also provides real-time protection against phishing attacks, which means it constantly monitors your online activity for any signs of a possible attack. In my opinion, another great option for preventing phishing attacks.

Use Network Firewall

Having a physical firewall placed on your network is also a great way to secure your organization from phishing in addition to other cyber threats.

One brand that I’m familiar with that does a really good job is the SonicWall firewall. It can be a critical part of your organization’s security infrastructure, as it can help prevent phishing attacks by identifying and blocking malicious emails before they reach your users.

Just make sure to configure your firewall properly, as it can sometimes cause other blockages on your network, that can be more of a hindrance than it is helpful.  So be sure to do some research on how to configure a firewall property, or ask your local tech person to configure one for you.

What To Do if You’re a Victim of Phishing?

I always like to lead with prevention is better than cure.  But we all know that cannot always be the case because life happens.  So here are some effective methods you can use to recover in the event you or your organization becomes a victim of phishing of any kind.

Change your Login Credentials

Whatever the account is that the hacker was pretending to be, go in and change the login information to that account as fast as possible.  It is said that 86% of passwords online are terrible and can easily be guessed, so be sure to change it to something that would be difficult for others to figure out.

I would probably even go a step further and contact the support team of that company and inform them that your account might have been compromised.

From there, follow whatever procedures they have in place to either prevent the account from getting accessed by an unauthorized person or salvage whatever damages they can.

Backup Your Account

Depending on the account that’s compromised, if there’s any data associated with that account that you feel is very important, if you weren’t already, figure out how you can backup that account.  Backing up your data should always be a number one priority for any organization, so this one should not come as a surprise.

Virus and Malware Scan

This may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but doing a virus scan with the installed antivirus (you shouldn’t even be connected to the internet without an antivirus) and malware could play a major role in helping your recover from a possible attack. 

I’ve already mentioned the antivirus programs that do a good job to protect against phishing.  But installing another 3rd party application to do another type of scan could potentially find something your other antivirus program was not able to discover.

In this case, I’d recommend Malwarebytes.  They do a pretty awesome job with antiphishing as well. 

Common Examples of Phishing Emails

Here are some common examples of phishing emails:

1. Emails that appear to be from your bank or other financial institution, asking you to confirm your account details or update your password.
2. Emails that ask you to click on a link in order to download a document or view a video. The link may lead to a fake website that looks very similar to the real one.
3. Emails with attachments that claim to be invoices, receipts, or other important documents. However, the attachments may contain malware that can infect your computer with something else.

Phishing emails are becoming more and more common, and hackers are becoming smarter and more sophisticated. While there is no one foolproof way to prevent phishing in your organization, following some of the tips given here will definitely reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

Final Thoughts

So figuring out how to prevent phishing in your organization does require a more proactive approach to stay ahead of attackers. Phishing is a growing concern for both individuals and businesses alike and can be relatively scary, as it can lead to identity theft among other crises for your organization.

As I’ve eluded to earlier, there is no real way that will guarantee 100 percent safeguard against phishing.  However, in addition to what I’ve laid out here, here are some proactive measures for you and your organization.

• Educate your users on how to identify phishing emails, and remind them to never click on any links or open any attachments in suspicious emails.
• Install a spam filter to help catch malicious emails before they reach your users.
• Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication if possible, to help protect your accounts from being compromised.
• Keep your software up to date, and install patches as soon as they become available.
• Monitor your network for signs of unusual activity, and investigate any suspicious activity immediately.
• Never open emails from unknown senders.
• Be suspicious of emails that request sensitive information, especially if the email doesn’t seem to be addressed to you personally.
• Don’t click on any links or download any attachments in suspicious emails.
• If you’re not sure whether an email is legitimate, contact the sender directly to ask about the message.

As you can see, there are many ways to prevent phishing in your organization. And I believe educating your employees on the dangers of phishing and how to identify a scam email is the first step. Using additional software and hardware like a firewall can also be the next step.

Combining these methods for sure would put you in a much better situation to prevent a phishing attack.

But with Windows Operating System being equipped with a free antivirus, is there a need to install a third-party tool like Malwarebytes? When comparing the two applications, one being free and the other for a fee, it’s fair to ask, is Malwarebytes better than Windows Defender?

That’s what we’re going to find out in this article.  Let’s go through the full details and see which ones check out better.

Let’s Look at Malwarebytes

I did a full product review of Malwarebytes, where I give more details about Malwarebytes, the good, the bad, and everything else in between.  Be sure to check that out if you want more information.

A relatively newcomer to the antivirus space, Malwarebytes has both a free trial version and a Premium version.  The free version is only for 14 days, after that you would need to upgrade to their Premium version.

Their Premium version has several features that’ll keep your system safe, protected, and then some.

Individual and Business Plans

In most cases, you’re going to install Malwarebytes for your individual computer.  However, they also have plans that’ll handle a business environment to protect multiple computers simultaneously.  They’ve made themselves versatile enough to cover different types of working environments, as well as for individuals.  That wasn’t the case over 17 years ago when they first arrived on the scene as software that can only remove malware.

They only had one version, and it was primarily aimed to support individual computers.

For business environments, they now have what they called Malwarebytes for Teams.   For smaller businesses that want to take advantage of the Malwarebytes “business package” without having to spend too much, this is a great option for them. 

And of course, they have more advanced packages for enterprise operations.  There’s Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection and Malwarebytes Endpoint Detection and Response.  That requires a consultation so they can 

Is Malwarebytes Worth Paying for?

When compared to other players in the market, Malwarebytes tends to be more on the pricey side.  You can get Malwarebytes Premium for around $49.99 per device per year.  Other competitors in the market can offer similar services as Malwarebytes for cheaper.  It can also be said that competitors can offer more devices to be protected under the same yearly plan, similar to what Malwarebytes charges for just one device, for the same price.

But is cheaper better?

Sure other software products can offer more features for a lower price as Malwarebytes.  But is the quality of protection the same as with Malwarebytes? 

That’s really where your focus should be.

Paying just a few dollars less may mean you save some money on the front end.  But end up having to spend more money recovering from a virus or malware attack, because you opt for “cheaper” security software.

Sometimes the trade-off for a cheaper product is not always beneficial for you in the long run. 

Overview of Windows Defender

Windows Defender is a built-in security feature of Windows 10 and 11 that helps protect your computer from malware and other threats. It is turned on by default and runs in the background to help keep you safe.  Nothing is needed from you to start using it because it comes pre-loaded with Windows.

Windows Defender also includes a “real-time” protection feature that can detect and block threats as they happen.  So it can keep you protected and does a pretty good job of it, which is pretty nice.  And the best part of course is that it’s all free.

Overall I think Microsoft did a good job improving the features of Windows Defender (also called Microsoft Defender) and making it a better security software.

I think it was from years of customers complaining that their computers are plagued with viruses, and Microsoft finally started listening.  As it seems most if not all viruses and malware are targeted at Windows-based computers.

Having a preloaded antivirus that comes free with Windows I think is a nice touch.

Another improved feature that all parents would appreciate is that of parental controls.  Actually, this is a feature that’s built into Windows Operating System itself, but you can get to it from the Windows Defender settings area.

This feature simply allows parents to control how much time their kids can spend using the computer, and what they use while on the computer.  Having this modification feature is definitely a plus in my opinion, as kids can spend a lot of time browsing the internet and becoming victims of all kinds of predators lurking on the internet.

Overall Windows Defender is good enough to take care of most security issues on your computer.  It’ll take care of the things that free software should be taking care of.

But for more security features, Windows Defender would not be the best option to go with.  I would recommend you opt for third-party software like Malwarebytes.

Can Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Co-exist?

The quick answer here is yes, they can coexist.

In fact, many experts recommend using both programs together for the best protection.  Windows Defender is good at detecting and removing “common malware”, the ones that are easier to find and remove.  On the other hand, Malwarebytes is better at detecting more “sophisticated and targeted” attacks. 

Malware can get much more granular than Windows Defender.

So by using both programs together, you’re essentially getting the best of both worlds.  As a quick glance, here are a few things to keep in mind when using Windows Defender and Malwarebytes together.

• Compatibility: As mentioned, Windows Defender and Malwarebytes are compatible and can be used on the same system simultaneously.
• Scanning: Malwarebytes will scan for different types of malware than Windows Defender.
• Features: Windows Defender offers real-time protection against malware, while Malwarebytes will do the same, but may have to be manually initiated to detect what Windows Defender is not able to.

One of the better features of Malwarebytes is that it’s compatible with most other security software, a competitive advantage most other security software don’t have.  Under normal circumstances, installing two different antivirus software on the same computer is a no-no.  Most of them don’t play nice together, and one would need to be un-installed.

Not so with Malwarebytes.  They are the exception in this case.

Conclusion

To recap and provide my own two cents.  We’ve discovered that Malwarebytes is a software company that produces antimalware software.  It scans the computer for malware and removes it.  You can download the free version to give it a try for 14 days, or you can just opt for the paid version, and get access to all the features it offers.

The paid version, for example, scan for malware on an infected USB drive. The free version does not have this feature, among other limited features.

Windows Defender is the built-in antimalware software that comes pre-loaded with Microsft Windows Operating System.  It has more features than the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, but fewer features than the paid version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

Windows Defender is included in Windows, so there is no cost to use it. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware must be purchased separately if you do decide you like it and want more security features.

Malwarebytes is a popular choice, as it tends to do a better job than most other paid security software on the market.  Windows Defender is a good option to start with.  It will take care of the basic security needs as a free protection.  But Malwarebytes will give you more features and options for getting rid of viruses and malware.

In my opinion, you can get by using Windows Defender.  But if you had a really bad case of malware attack, your best bet is to get the premium version of Malwarebytes.

Why does malware keep coming back anyway? I mean, what causes this nightmare to keep reoccurring?

That can sometimes remain a mystery, as viruses and malware tend to duplicate themselves while on your computer.  But instead of focusing on the problem, I’ll offer you a few solutions to keep malware off your computer for good. 

So let’s get comfortable and dive in.  I’ll keep it simple, so you’re able to easily digest the information.

Getting Rid of All Malware

First, let’s start with the anti-virus that you already have installed on your computer.  If you don’t have an anti-virus or anti-malware application installed on your computer, get one.  If you’re running Windows 10 or later, by default Windows comes with a built-in anti-virus called Microsoft Windows Defender. 

As far as getting a third-party application, I recommend Malwarebytes, particularly if you’re dealing with malware.  I did a full product review on Malwarebytes in my last article, so be sure to go and check that out.

Once you have an antivirus application installed, ensure that it’s fully up to date with the latest virus definitions.  

Next, do a full system scan to find and destroy any malware that’s found on your system.  It’s good practice to do multiple scans just to be thorough.  It may take longer than you would want, but a few extra scans can really make a difference.  You’d be surprised by how many more malware and viruses are found during the second or third scan.

I usually keep scanning until no more malware is found.

There can be occasions where the particular anti-virus application you’re using is not resolving the issue, and you may have to get another application.  This is why I recommend Malwarebytes.  It can find and remove malware and viruses most other anti-virus applications can’t.  Malwarebytes is pretty thorough and can go the distance with removing most if not all your malware. 

You can do a free trial for 14 days, and see the difference yourself.

System Restore

Another cool trick that I’ve used that sometimes works to rid my system of malware is to do a system restore.  This is bringing your computer back to an earlier date before your computer was infected.

To do this, running Windows 10 or 11, do the following:

• Click on Start and search for Control Panel (I do it the old school way).
• Click to open Control Panel, when its opens, and click System and Security in the upper left corner.
• On the next screen, click on System (third option down).
  
• Now you’re brought into the Settings screen for Windows.  From here, go and click the Advanced System Settings under Device Specifications (top portion of the page over on the right column).
  
• The System Properties windows should open up.  Click on the System Protection tab.
  
• Check to see if you have a restore point already created.  If so, you can go ahead and restore your computer to an earlier date, by clicking on System Restore.  In my case, it’s greyed out, with means I don’t have any restore points created.  You can always manually create one (which I would recommend) if Windows didn’t already create one for you.

Try it and see if this helped to get rid of your malware.  If it does, install an application that can remove the malware head-on, in case the issue does come back.

How To Stop Malware?

This section ties into the previous section as it relates to the types of tools needed to prevent or stop malware from infecting your computer.  

As I mentioned earlier, Windows Defender does a decent job of protecting your computer, but it’s not a bad idea to consider other 3rd party applications, such as Norton, AVG, or McAfee.  Those are the more common ones that everyone knows about.

However, our recommended anti-virus and anti-malware software to use, as I mentioned earlier is Malwarebytes.  It can find and eliminate most viruses and malware most other software programs in its class can’t.

User Input Prevention

This is more of what you can do to prevent becoming a victim of malware infection.  You know what they say, prevention is better than cure.  So I’d like you to be a bit more proactive with the following:

• Data backup:  This I will list first because it’s so important.  Ensure that you have some sort of regular backup that you’re carrying out.  Preferably in the cloud, so you can get access to it from anywhere, but if you can do local (an external hard drive, stored somewhere safe) that’s at least a start.  In the event that your system is compromised by a really bad virus, malware, and even ransomware, you can at least rebuild using your backup if you need to.
• Firewall:  This is usually taken care of by whatever anti-virus program you’re using.  Just verify that your firewall is active and running and wasn’t disabled for whatever reason.
• Beware of suspicious websites:  With the convenience of online shopping these days, purchasing goods and services online has become somewhat second nature for us all.  It has also made us easy targets to be scammed and get hacked.  Be vigilant that whatever website you are shopping from that it is a legitimate and trustworthy website.  This is one of the easiest ways for you to get infected with malware.  I’ll talk more about suspicious sites in the next section.
• Pay attention to your email:  This is another easy one that people fall for.  They click on a link from an email they received from someone posing to be a credible source.  Only to find out that person was a scammer of some kind.  This is called phishing.  If you’re not sure about the source, DON’T click on it.

Taking these steps will change your mindset from why malware keep coming back to what can I do to ensure that malware doesn’t come back.

How To Know if a Site is Suspicious?

One of the first give away here is to ensure that you’re going to a secure website.  The way in which you can determine this, is to check for the “HTTPS://” which usually comes before the www.  If the site is missing that “S”, and only has “HTTP”, you may want to think twice before interacting with that website.

Another good giveaway here is if you’re getting a message from your browser stating that your connection is not secure.  Although this one is a dead giveaway, there are some exceptions.

Here’s what I mean.

As a tech guy, I’ve actually seen this error before when attempting to troubleshoot a router, using its web interface.  In such a case, I would sometimes receive this error message.  Because I knew that I was going into a router for troubleshooting purposes, I proceeded to interact with the site.

In your case, if you know the site you’re going to is legit because you’ve either interacted with it in the past, or you’ve verified it with someone you trust, then it’s fine to proceed.  Just make sure to do your due diligence and verify the site’s integrity.  If you’re not sure, ask a local tech person that you know.  Heck…Google it if you need to.

Another important tip to pay attention to, is to check out the domain for yourself.  What do I mean?

Well, every website has a root domain (i.e. www.site.com), and it should take you to their homepage.  So what you can do here is open another tab on your browser…better yet open an Incognito (Google Chrome) or Inprivate (Microsoft Edge) window so it cannot be tracked and manually type in that root domain and see where it takes you.

If the homepage looks genuine and it checks out well, like having an HTTPS://, and even a security lock next to the URL (indicating that the site is secure), then ok proceed.  If not, then high tail out of there don’t look back!

Consider Your Options

It’s really hard to pinpoint for sure why malware keeps coming back after you’ve removed them from your computer.  But being proactive like I’ve shown you in this article will definitely help to ensure that they stay removed.

Also, don’t forget to check out my review of Malwarebytes, as I know it will help big time to get your malware infections under control.

In this product review of Malwarebytes, we’re going to delve into this product to see what makes it stand out from the competition and to determine…is Malwarebytes worth it.

From personal experience, I know this product delivers, but let’s find out why.  

So without further delay, let’s get into the details of Malwarebytes.

What is Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is an anti-malware and anti-virus program that not only gets rid of malware from your computer, it also protects you from it.  This software tool came about as a result of other anti-virus programs not being able to get rid of certain viruses.

Back in 2008, the creator and owner of Malwarebytes Marcin Kleczynski decided he was going to somehow create an anti-virus program to get rid of malware on his mom’s computer.  Apparently, the other mega anti-virus companies (i.e. Norton, McAfee, AVG, Kaspersky, etc.) couldn’t solve the problem that he was having, and he was simply frustrated.  So he decided to get creative and invented his own anti-malware software.

As a result, Malwarebytes was created.

As I mentioned earlier, I also ran into that issue with other anti-virus companies.  No matter how many times I would update to the latest virus definitions or the most recent version of that particular anti-virus software, it still couldn’t remove those malicious codes.  So I had to go on a “mad hunt”, trying to find some kind of tool that would get the job done.

My research lead me to Malwarebytes, and boy did it deliver.

Just using the free version (back then it was free for a lot longer than it is now) alone got rid of all the malware on my client’s computer, which really impressed me.  Malwarebytes became one of my “secret tools” after that to solve many more malware-related issues and viruses for some time to come.

One of my best-kept secrets indeed…until word started to catch on about it.

Installation

To get started with Malwarebytes, simply head over to their website and download the installation file.  You can start with their 14-day trial version, or purchase the premium version right away.  Either one is fine.

The installation process takes no more than 2 minutes to complete, literally.  

Below you’ll find a video I did to showcase the entire process from start to finish.  This is more for the visual learners out there, like myself, who would prefer to see it, rather than just read about it. 

See below for a video showing how to download, install and run Malwarebytes for the first time.

Pros and Cons

Let’s talk a bit about the good, the bad, and the ugly for Malwarebytes.  As much as I enjoy this product, there are some drawbacks to it, and we’re going to get into them here.  Given that it falls under the category of anti-virus, we’re really comparing it to other anti-virus software currently in the market.  

Here are the Pros:

• Threat Prevention:  Having Malwarebytes installed on your machine is like any other anti-virus application.  One of the main jobs of an anti-virus application is that it protects your computer (at least it’s supposed to) in real-time, 24/7, and prevents any potential threat, infections, or harm to come to your computer.  Malwarebytes does this really well, more so for the premium (paid) members.  You can try it out for free of course, but with limited features and use it for 14 days, during the trial period.
  
• Web Protection:  Ever heard of a thing called phishing?  It is what scammers do when they’re trying to get information from you or about you.  They usually do it via an email from a fake institution, that looks reputable, asking you to fill out some information.  In essence, what they’re doing is “phishing” for information, and then using that information to do very bad things.  Web protection prevents that from happening.
• Ransomeware Protection:  This one is a big one, as ransomware can really lock down an entire company preventing users from getting access to their files.  The hackers on the other side of this wrongdoing request payment of several thousands of dollars (sometimes upwards of $20,000) in Bitcoin to unlock their files.  Trying to pay hackers money so they can unlock those “corrupted and locked” files, is like playing Russian Rulet with the Russian mafia…it’s not gonna end well for you.  So having this feature is pretty special, as a preventative feature.
• VPN:  This is a recent addition to Malwarebytes.  They decided to add this feature in 2020 so they could stand out from the competition of other anti-virus software, which I think is pretty special.  They call it “Malwarebytes Privacy VPN”.  This will give users extra safety and privacy by allowing them to browse the internet anonymously.  By the way, if you’re interested in another robust VPN software, check out my review on Express VPN.

Here are the Cons (the not so good stuff):

• Heavy on your computer:  Malwarebytes tends to use up more of your computer’s resources while it’s running in the background.  I tend to frown on this as it was one of my pet peeves with many other AV (anti-virus) applications.  So hopefully they work on improving this in the near future.
• Pricey:  Compared to other applications in its field, Malwarebytes tend to be more expensive than its counterparts.  As of this writing, Malwarebytes premium is $29.99 per year to protect one computer.  Whereas other players in the market are offering similar services for less.  Or they offer 2 or more devices for the same price.
• Intrusive Updates: When updates are pushed to Malwarebytes, it tends to be a bit intrusive.  Meaning, instead of the updates running in the background, it tends to give a lot of annoying pop-ups, vying for the user’s attention.  This can be annoying if you’re in the middle of something and have to stop and respond to the prompts.

Features

I talked a little about this in the last section, but I want to go into more detail about the features of Malwarebytes here.  This is how we can really determine how is Malwarebytes worth it.

One of the things that I like about Malwarebytes is its ability to clean up an already infected computer.  This is one of the areas I believe they shine in.  After running the application on a computer that is infected, there will be a noticeable difference in computer performance.

I can’t say the same for other applications I have used.

Protecting your identity is an important security feature to have in today’s age.  There are numerous cases reported each week on victims of identity theft by hackers.  As I’ve eluded earlier, this is one of the strong points for Malwarebytes with their web protection feature.

They prevent hackers from “phishing” for your information over the internet.  Just knowing that you have this type of protection is something that’ll make you sleep well at night.

On to the matter of ransomware.

You really don’t want to be a victim of this.  It’s messy…really messy and not to mention very expensive.  To give an analogy, a business that gets hit with ransomware is like someone changing the locks on the doors of your house, without you being aware of it.  And in order to get into your own house, you’ll need to pay that person to give you the keys so you get into your own house again.

Pretty absurd right?  Well, that’s how ransomware works in the virtual world.  So having ransomware protection is gold, and I love the fact that they’ve included this feature.

I think it’s the best malware protection application that’s available.  Heck, it’s named after the very thing it was designed to remove and destroy…”malware”.  Sure there is other software that can attempt to do what Malwarebytes does, but they don’t do it as good of a job.

And so, we can see why it’s priced just a little higher than most of the competition.

My Final Assessment

Overall, I believe Malwarebytes is a great application to have, protecting your computer from any nasty viruses, ransomware, and any other malware.

Sure, it may be a bit more pricey than most of its competitors (not by much), and it may use up more system resources on your computer, but in return, you’re getting good solid protection for your computer. 

And it’s worth the investment.

So if it feels right, and you think Malwarebytes is the software tool for you.  Then I say give them a try and see the difference it makes, as it relates to your malware issues. 

You can get started today by heading to their homepage, and clicking download.  You’ll be on your way to having a malware-free computer in a matter of minutes!

This is one of the more common questions I get asked as an IT professional, and there are a variety of things that could have contributed to your computer system slowing down.

With the improvement of technology in recent years, there are also many different solutions to help alleviate this problem.  I’ll dispel a few reasons why you’re computer is running so slow (the more common ones) and what you can actually do about it.

Low RAM (Random Access Memory)

So let’s talk about this integral component of your computer. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with tech jargon here.  But in simple terms, the RAM on your computer is what temporarily stores information when the computer is on. Your computer can instantly grab whatever information it needs from RAM at any given time, for whatever application is running.  It operates very similarly to our short term and long term memory in our brains.

So the more RAM you have on your computer, the better.  This is usually one of the first places I go when a computer starts to slow down.  Luckily, it’s one of the easier and cheaper components to upgrade.  The average computer today has anywhere between 4GB to 16GB (Gigabyte) of RAM installed.  If you’re a gamer, it’s more like 16GB to 32GB, plus the memory that’s needed for the video card.

If your computer is below the range I just gave, you definitely want to consider upgrading as soon as you can.  Even if your computer falls within that range, but it’s still slow, start by getting the RAM upgraded.

I’d even take it a step further and install the maximum amount that your computer can handle.

Here’s how you can do that.  Find out what type of RAM your particular computer uses by going to Crucial’s website.  They are one of the largest RAM manufacturers and they can get you just about any RAM you need.

When you’re on the website, enter the make and model of your computer.  If you have a custom-built system, then you would need to know the motherboard’s make and model.  Crucial will give you all the details of the type of RAM your computer takes, and tell you how much it will cost.  You can either purchase the RAM directly from their website or go to your electronic store and purchase it there.

Once you receive the component, you can either do the install yourself (there are tons of YouTube videos that’ll show you how) or get a technician to install it for you.

Optimize the Operating System

After some time of using your computer, it will eventually start to slow down from normal wear and tear.  We’re always downloading and installing things on our computers each time we use them.  Many times, we inadvertently install other unwanted programs and don’t realize it.

Those unwanted applications oftentimes place themselves in the startup folders of the Operating System, without our knowledge of it happening.  Not only is this causing your computer’s hard drive to become fragmented, but also, the RAM gets used up unnecessarily upon startup.  These programs are also running in the background, occupying computer memory, which negatively impacts your computer’s overall performance.

One of the best ways to remedy this is to…well uninstall these unneeded applications.  Go to the Control Panel and look for “Uninstall a Program”.  Go through the list of programs that are listed there and uninstall everything that you know you don’t need.

Another simple trick is to stop programs from starting up when your computer boots up.  In a Windows 10 computer, here’s how to do that:

1. 1.  Right-click on an open space on your taskbar.  Your taskbar is typically located at the very bottom of your computer screen.
   2. Select Task Manager.
   3. When Task Manager opens, select the Startup tab.
   4. In that list, select any application that you don’t what to start up when the computer boots up and click Disable at the bottom right.

A really handy tool that can also help with the optimization process of your operating system is CCleaner.  You can use the free version or get the paid version.  This tool will help you clean out the Temp Files, empty the Recycle Bin, optimize all apps that are running slow, and lots more.  Check out their website and see what packages they have available.

Getting Rid of Malware

Before we get into ridding your computer of malware, let’s first define what malware is.  The term “malware” is a mashup of the words malicious software, which is a piece of software that was created to do bad things to your computer.  Among the different types of malware are Viruses, Trojans, and the big one that’s creating so many problems for companies these days is Ransomware.  There are many other forms of malware, but those are the 3 most common.

The best way to protect yourself from malware is to be proactive…which to the average user is not so easy to do because their main concern is to use their computers.  In addition to the obvious virus software installation, here are a few things you can do to keep your computer from getting infected with malware:

• • Be careful what you’re downloading off the internet.  If you don’t trust the source from which you are downloading, then it’s probably not a good idea to download anything from that site.
  • Similar to the first tip, be careful of what you’re clicking in the email that takes you out to the internet.  Again, if you don’t trust the source, delete the email.
  • Don’t share any sensitive information about yourself or the company you work for with strangers you don’t know.  Whether online or over the phone. This is considered “phishing“, and it’s a way for people to get information about you that they can use to steal from you.  If you’re not sure about the source that’s asking for your information, get a second opinion from an IT professional.

If you do find yourself a victim of a milder version of the malware, you can use Malwarebytes to remove any and all versions of malware that have infected your computer.  Similar to Ccleaner, you can download a free or paid version.  It is pretty robust and I would recommend using it if you feel your computer has been infected with malware.

In Closing

Having a slow computer can really be a pain to deal with.  Unfortunately, at some point, every computer will eventually start to slow down with just everyday usage.  After some time of owning your computer, the best remedy in some cases is to simply replace your computer.  But we all understand that’ll be hundreds to thousands of dollars that you may not have at that point.

Before you get to that point with your computer, consider these options of upgrades and you’ll notice a big improvement in the overall performance.  These are effective and don’t cost nearly as much to replace your computer.  Some of them are even free to do.