In this digital world, where everything is connected to the internet 24/7, malicious software, popularly known as malware, enters our digital life in many forms. The most common conditions are worms, spyware, Trojans, ransomware, backdoors, adware, and the list go on. No matter what type of malware we face, the thing is that all of these forms have the same purpose, and that is to steal our personal information, encrypt our data and then sell it on dark web platforms.
Malware finds several ways to enter our devices and end up revealing our credit and debit card information and exploiting our security numbers. You must be wondering how does this particular thing infect our devices? There are several ways to be its prey; for example, sometimes you might get exposed to it due to a visit to some suspicious website or by clicking on any malicious link that you see in any of your emails.
As soon as malware enters, you may witness a slower performance of your device, and some pop-up ads may appear more than usual which may be challenging to shut.
Here we have lined up specific tips that you can follow to remove malware from your PC or Mac and protect the device against it;
An antivirus update is crucial.
It is essential to ensure that the antivirus software of your device is upgraded with its latest definitions of the virus because this is how malware is identified by any software, based on previous versions’ history. The antivirus vendors responsible for these upgrades continuously update the lists as soon as they come across new Trojans and viruses in the lab. So in case, the software is outdated, the risk of any infection is high.
Antivirus software will allow you to run a deep scan in the hope of finding the malware, removing it, and fixing it. However, there are times when malware is so expert in the task that it can deactivate the antivirus in the first place to get hold of your device.
Opt for options like Reboot, Revert, and Re-scan
If you experience a time when malware attacks and you cannot fix it, immediately reset your system. This is done through system restore points available in Windows. Moreover, if your device has Windows, you can directly opt to reboot your system through its in-built Microsoft Defender. For this, all you have to do is go to your device’ settings,’ move on to the option of ‘Update and Security, click on ‘Windows Security and select option ‘Virus and Threat Protection.
Recover your damaged files
Once you have detected and erased the virus, the next thing you may want to do is reinstall the programs and files that got damaged in the malware removal process. For this reinstallation, the backups you prepared to play a significant role, which is why it is imperative to back up your files and programs regularly. Through these backups restoration process of deleted files on Mac and Windows becomes easy. To be on the safe side, an external hard drive can be your savior too.
Take necessary precautions to safeguard your device from another infection.
Once you’ve handled and erased the malware from the device, your job isn’t done because it may come back, which is why you will have to take all necessary precautions to prevent your device from another attack.
Some quick, easy to follow steps that you can do to prevent viruses from entering your device again are: installing the latest updates for Windows (this includes both antivirus and other essential Windows update), weekly backups of files and programs, as mentioned above, do not click on pop-up messages that constantly claim that there is some problem detected with your device as these pop-ups are in reality a trap we fall for.
Lastly, make sure that you don’t open emails from addresses that you find suspicious or cannot recognize, especially when they have a particular attachment or link with them.
At times you will have to manually remove a virus.
There are times when you may have to remove malware manually; however, you must only attempt this if you have expertise in using the Windows Registry and are able to find and delete junk files that lie in the device’s program and system files. But if you are unsure, it’s better to reach out to an IT expert who is able to guide you in how to remove the viruses from your device.
By following these tips, you can save your devices from being exposed to such malware and losing data. Moreover, software like AVG Antivirus for Mac devices can detect any hidden threats in your devices and protect you from unconsciously infecting any other devices.
