Be Aware of Malware!

I have an extremely important piece of advice for anyone using a computer – please pass this on to everyone you can.

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT call any phone number that pops up on your computer regardless of what is presented. Additionally, DO NOT answer any phone calls made to you that claim to be someone telling you there is a problem with your computer that needs to be fixed.

THESE ARE ALL SCAMS! They are part of the illegal, profit making schemes running out there in cyberspace. There are several names for these “malicious” attempts but the main term is referred to as malware (malicious software): scareware, ransomware, badware, spyware, adware, just to name a few.

Malware is any software used to disrupt computer operations, gather sensitive information, gain access to private computer systems, or display unwanted advertising, especially those claiming to improve your computer’s performance! This type software is normally installed without the user’s knowledge. Malware is not the same as a computer virus, the latter being more harmful to the computer itself.

The latest malware that has been reported to me on a regular basis is what I term “scareware”. This is a sample scenario of the scareware attack. You’re on a website (even your favorite website) and you click on a link only to have a web page displayed that indicates you have a virus and your computer is locked. You must call the phone number listed in order to fix this. Do not attempt to shut down or you may lose all your data and hard drive.

What do you do? With this particular malware, simply shutdown and restart your computer. If you cannot restart (e.g., Start menu > Restart or Shutdown), then hold your power button in until the system shuts down. Restart the computer normally and you should be good to go back to what you were doing.

If you are not running an anti-malware program along with your anti-virus program, then I highly recommend you invest in one. There are several on the market and I recommend going with a paid-subscription versus finding something free. I personally like Malwarebytes (www.malwarebytes.org).

You need to keep your computer free of malware or it WILL cost you later. Malware begets even more malware. The longer it stays on your computer the more likely your system performance will become degraded or even crash.

To expand on what I said earlier about viruses versus malware. Anti-virus programs do not address malware programs, and anti-malware programs do not address viruses. Today, these two types of programs are best handled by two separate programs that specifically target the two types. A single program claiming to do both tends to degrade the PC’s performance and in some cases deny the user from completing a task.

Your knowledge of what to do and not to do are important to your line of defense against these attacks.

I say again: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT call any phone number that pops up on your PC regardless of what is presented. Additionally, DO NOT answer any phone calls made to you that claim to be someone telling you there is a problem with your computer that needs to be fixed.

Scamming is a multi-billion dollar a year activity. Don’t be a victim.