PC Repair in Murrieta — Viruses, Phishing, and Spyware
PCs are a blessing and a curse. They allow you to connect to people all over the world and find any little nugget of information you desire to know in a single minute. They definitely make our lives easier in so many countless ways. However, PCs pose just as many threats, many of which people are still learning about and trying to figure out. The worldwide connection that PCs make possible via the internet puts users at risk for dangers like identity theft. With this kind of danger lurking at just the click of a mouse, computer users need to be hyper vigilant about what they are doing while online.
SEE ALSO: Troubleshooting And PC Repair
Nasty computer viruses do what all of the other kinds of viruses do; they infect and spread.
Computer viruses do their dirty deed to your computer just like typical viruses infect your body and perform their destruction. A computer virus is a kind of malware program that replicates by inserting copies of itself into other computer programs, the boot sector of the hard drive, or or data files. They cause perform different kinds of damage, such as corrupting data, stealing CPU time or hard disk space, and accessing private information. Computer viruses are spread through many different channels. Frequently, they are disguised as attachments in emails or instant messages, downloads on the internet, audio files, video files, and pop ups. Computer viruses causes billions of dollars in damage yearly, so free, open-source anti-virus software has been developed to protect users from the destruction.
Phishing is the attempt to fish for information.
Phishing messages, websites, and emails have the sole purpose of acquiring important, confidential information. Cybercriminals who commit this crime are out for your passwords, your usernames, your bank account information, and other sensitive information. They masquerade as a trustworthy website or email, while installing malware on your computer to get what they really want. Phishing is usually performed by directing users to enter information at fake websites containing malware that appear almost identical to the website they pretend to be. Cybercriminals often use popular social media websites to do their dirty work, such as facebook and twitter.
Spyware is the technological version of a peeping tom.
Spyware is software that steals information about a person or an organization and that may then send that information to another entity without the person’s or organization’s knowledge or consent. Spyware can also assert control over a person’s or an organization’s computer without their knowledge. There are four types of spyware: trojans, adware, system monitors, and tracking cookies. Spyware, when used for malicious purposes, is difficult to detect. Spyware often performs behaviors such as advertising, collecting personal information, and changing your computer’s configuration. Spyware often sneaks into your computer while your downloading other programs, music, or videos on your computer. Once installed on your computer, spyware can cause your computer to crash, change your web browser’s home page or search page, and make it difficult for you to change your setting back to your preferences.
If your PC is experiencing issues due to any of these threats, experts at Computer Repair of Temecula will be happy to solve the problem.