Stay safe online

Malware

The term “malware” covers all sorts of malicious software designed to harm a computer or network. Malware can be installed on your machine without your knowledge, often through deceptive links or downloads posing as something you might be interested in. Once malware has been installed on your computer, cyber criminals can sometimes try to access your personal information. They do this by logging your keystrokes or monitoring your computer’s activity. Your computer could also be controlled and forced to visit websites, send spam email or perform other actions without your knowledge. The effects of malware can be anything from a brief annoyance to identity theft.

A few examples of malware:

virus:
a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer.
worm:
a self-replicating malware computer program, which uses a computer network to send copies of itself to other computers on the network.
spyware:
a malware that collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge.
adware:
any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer.
Trojan horse:
a destructive program that masquerades as an application. The software initially appears to perform a desirable function for the user prior to installation, but steals information or harms the system.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to protect yourself against malware:

  1. Upgrade your operating system and software to the latest versions and, if possible, turn on automatic updates. Regularly check for updates to software that doesn’t offer automatic update functionality.

  2. Always keep an eye on what you click and download. By clicking on unfamiliar links, you can expose your computer to malicious software and websites. This software often contains programs that scan your computer or track what keys you type, including your password. To keep yourself safe, only download from sources you trust. When in doubt, use trusted bookmarks for important sites.

  3. Be careful when you come across unfamiliar sites. When you’re not sure, leave the site and research the software you are being asked to install. Sometimes malware may prevent you from leaving the page, for example by repeatedly opening a download prompt. If this happens, use your computer’s task manager to close your browser.

  4. Do not trust anything within an email that looks suspicious. Even email from people you know can contain malware links or attachments if their account has been hacked. Be careful when you follow links in an email. It’s better to visit websites by entering the address directly in your browser.

  5. Do not open files of unknown types, or if you see unfamiliar browser prompts or warnings.

  6. Some programs bundle malware or other deceptive Internet software as a part of their installation process. When you install software, pay close attention to the message boxes, and scan the fine print. It’s also good to do some research on unknown software before you start the installation process. If you’re worried that the software might be harmful, stop the installation immediately.

  7. Your friends, family, or coworkers may give you a disk or flash drive with an infected file on it without their knowledge. You can scan the disk with anti-virus software before opening the files.

  8. Do not trust pop-up windows that ask you to download software. Often these pop-ups will make you believe your computer has been infected and ask you to download software in order to be safe. Close the window and make sure you don’t click inside the pop-up window.

  9. Be careful with file-sharing. Many of these sites have little policing for malware, so if you download anything from them do so with caution. Malware can be disguised as a popular movie, album, or program.

  10. Install browser updates promptly or choose a browser like Chrome that updates automatically to the latest version. Many browsers will warn you if you try to go to a website that is suspected of hosting malware. Google offers a Safe Browsing API, which is used by Firefox, Safari and Chrome. We analyze millions of web pages daily, and each year we find hundreds of thousands of malware hosting pages, which we add to the blacklist in the Safe Browsing API which then protects users from these pages.

  11. Beware that malware may also come in the form of browser add-ons, so only install extensions that you trust.

  12. Remove malware as soon as you can. One way to clean your computer is to reinstall your operating system. There are also a number of programs out there that can help.

Remove malware

Scan your computer with at least one, and ideally a few, high quality anti-virus products. We have no connection with the companies below, so we can’t comment on their programs’ effectiveness, but trying any of these programs often makes a difference, as does having the latest versions. You may also use the site av-comparatives.org to find other anti-virus software and review test results.

Report malware

If you’ve encountered a malware URL while browsing the Web, you can report the URL to StopBadware’s community. Additionally, you may want to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices in the U.S. To file a complaint, do one of the following:

If you’ve been redirected to a suspicious site, please take a moment to tell us about it.

How to protect your computer from malware

It’s good to know that there are some simple ways to protect yourself against malware. Read the next topic: How to ensure you connect to a safe network