Signs You May Have a Virus

You may be tapping away happily on your computer keyboard or having a blast playing your favorite computer game. Suddenly your computer begins to act as if it has lost its mind, and in a sense, it may have, if it has been infiltrated by malware. When a computer spontaneously begins to exhibit strange performance behavior, this could be a sign that the operating system, a browser or even an email client has been compromised in a virus attack.

Signs that a computer system is compromised can vary tremendously, but in virtually all cases, there will be clues for the observant user, even if it at first appears to be nothing more than a passing anomaly. Some attacks may be noticeable immediately. You may suddenly see one or more pop-ups with messages that warn of a computer virus. While this type of attack often seems to appear out of nowhere, it is frequently a Trojan using scareware as a tactic to prod computer users into downloading the real spyware.

Annoying adware may also begin to populate the screen, launching songs or buy-now offers. Other indications that a system may have been compromised by a virus include receiving system warnings that memory is running out or experiencing a longer boot time. Even though Apple's computer operating system fends off many cyber attacks, the growing popularity of the company's devices means that more attacks are inevitable. Apple hackers have already demonstrated an interest in Mac OS X, and viruses that target Apple computers are circulating in the wild all the time, according to computer security companies. In a virus attack involving the OS X system, the user generally has to open a door of some kind, so trickery is often used to convince an Apple user to download a virus. Anti-virus software is available for both operating platforms, with venders offering software with various levels of protection.

If a computer's screen locks up or crashes become more frequent, the user will eventually figure out that the system has been compromised by a virus. One sign of a virus that may be a little less obvious is when files appear to move to another location or to change size. In other cases, some time may pass before the user realizes the computer is underperforming. This usually happens when the security intrusion begins to eat up more and more memory or hard-drive space. It can also happen if a computer has been commandeered by a virus or a browser hijacker.

A botnet herder uses remote control via spyware that allows a criminal enterprise to use many people's computers to commit cyber crime. Large-scale scammers fall into this category. They use the victims' hardware and bandwidth to deceive others, or to spread porn, spam and commit other illegal activities.

Removing malware with an anti-virus solution can be somewhat challenging at times. It is wise to read reviews of products that remove viruses from a computer. One reason this is a wise way to approach the problem is that even if you figure out how to rid your computer of a virus or spyware, you should also make a decision on installing some form of ongoing security protection from this point going forward. Reviews will help you sort through the various options out there to keep your computing safe.

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