Recently, those that spy on the user's computer is considered to be especially dangerous malware. Such software is capable, for example, of recording a signal from a webcam, collecting confidential data from a user's PC, stealing passwords, or transmitting correspondence to third parties. The consequences of such actions can be much worse than if an infiltrated virus corrupted files on your computer. In this article, we will look at how you can protect yourself from spyware and protect information on your personal PC.
Protection Using Special Programs.
To protect your personal computer, there are many different specialized programs. A large number of antiviruses that have been developed for Windows and macOS can provide reliable protection for PCs from so-called keyloggers (viruses that monitor the pressing of buttons on the user's keyboard), webcam hackers, and other dangerous programs
But let's look real. There are no programs that protect your computer from all viruses at once. But to protect against popular threats for your home PC, a free antivirus will suffice. The main thing is to update such programs in time. We bring to your attention an overview of popular free antiviruses.
Antivirus to protect your PC is just the beginning of security. Specialized scanners for tracking spyware have long been developed. These scanners do not conflict with the rest of the installed security software and can find what the antivirus complete security software has overlooked. For Windows, experts recommend using the free Spybot Search & Destroy scanner.
If you already suspect that you are being followed, try scanning your computer with a solution called Power Eraser or HouseCall from Trend Micro. These programs are free and run directly from your web browser.
Preventive Measures to Avoid Contamination.
Even the most powerful antivirus or scanner will not protect the Internet if the user thoughtlessly installs unverified programs on his PC. If you want maximum security for working on the network, you should, first of all, avoid sources of infection yourself and control the system. This rule especially applies to those computers that have several users. Each user should have a separate account with a password, and it will also be better if administrator rights are disabled for those users who are poorly versed in the operation of the system. The most popular way to infect a PC is through phishing emails or fake pop-up notifications. Therefore, never open anything suspicious and delete such alerts from your computer.
Signs of a PC Infection.
Many users, through negligence, often introduce viruses onto their PCs, including miners. Such an infection uses the system resources of your computer for the purpose of mining cryptocurrency, which of course you will not get. Infection with this type of virus begins to load the video card, which is accompanied by heating and cooler noise. Therefore, always listen to changes in the operation of your computer and, in case of suspicion, run an antivirus/scanner scan.
Another sign of PC infection is OS slowdown. Over the years of work, this can happen with any operating system, but if such a slowdown occurs sharply, then it is worth checking the reasons for this work.
Suspicious activity is another factor to look out for when using a PC. For example, you should always watch the hard disk activity indicator (red light on the system unit). It shouldn't blink if nothing is happening on your computer.
Another sign of a possible computer infection is a pop-up-disappearing black command line window after the OS boots, if immediately after the system boots. This is an explicit process that wants to be overlooked.
Web browser abruptly changed home page? Perhaps this is an adware Trojan that you picked up on the Internet.
The main purpose of spyware is to constantly monitor the PC user. Therefore, such an infection can be easily tracked in the list of system processes (Processes tab of the Task Manager). In case you find something suspicious in this tab and do not know what it is, googles it. And if it is a virus, then in most Internet publications there will be instructions on how to remove it.
Even GOOGLE is following you?
This is an obvious fact for everyone. But the search engine in this case is not tracking you with the help of virus programs, but with the help of those actions that you yourself have allowed to connect in your account. Let's take a closer look at how search engines track us and how to disable it.
It is known to all active Internet users that Google keeps the entire search history. This can be checked and cleared on the dedicated “ My Activities ” page. As you can see, the browsing history is displayed ad infinitum, but you can fix this case and delete it, or delete individual search queries.
If you want to turn off the recording of Search History, in the left menu, item "Activity Tracking", then the option "Application and Web Search History".
Do you use voice queries? The search engine also stores their history.
If you've used Google Assistant before, then Google has a sample of your voice. You can even listen to all the cues that you used for the search. We visit the section "My actions"> "Voice control". You can delete records in the same way as the search history. To turn off - “Voice control history” - Turn off.
Google also keeps track of your travel history. On the special page “Chronology” you can see this information. To disable it, click here and disable this option “Location History”.
You can also change your advertising preferences in your account settings. A special section “Advertising preferences settings”. These parameters are compiled on the basis of your search queries, YouTube, and other activity. You can edit them if any of these characteristics does not suit you. You can also turn off the display of advertisements from specific advertisers. And of course, you can turn off “Ads personalization enabled” completely. True, advertising will not leave you, but it will more accurately meet your interests.
Would you like to completely delete your account?
Go to the link " Personal account " and see if there are services here without which you cannot do. After all, after removal, most of them will become inaccessible.
With the help of a special section "Saving data" archived information about yourself on the hard drive of your PC, and then completely delete your account. As you can see, everything is simple and clear, just decide for yourself whether you really need it.
The Internet must be safe. Use our VPN service to keep your privacy. Its advantages are here.
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