This is a ruse to encourage you to install malware, usually instigated by another piece of malware. You suddenly get anti-virus warnings popping up on your desktop, but you don’t have anti-virus software installed. Files can start behaving oddly, like appearing in the trash when you never deleted them, or becoming corrupted so they cannot be used at all. Further to the above, your friends and family begin receiving emails or messages from you that you never sent. It could be malware has been harvesting login credentials from your PC and sending them to a malicious actor. Not-so-social media. Your social media accounts get hacked, with the culprit leaving all manner of posts and updates under your name. Another red flag is if your usual logins are no longer working.You shall not pass. Have passwords stopped working for programs or websites you’ve previously been able to access? It could be a virus is present and locking you out of programs and files.Signs of slowing. Unfortunately, there are many pieces of malware around that are designed to simply annoy, such as endlessly replicating files to fill up hard drive space and slow down your PC.If your computer, be it Windows or Mac, has been exhibiting any of the below symptoms, it may be time to check your system for malware. This malware can be just as hard to spot as the hidden kind, so stay aware of the signs you’ve been compromised. Of course, there is also malware designed to do just the opposite pose as a legitimate program and hide in plain sight. They infiltrate your hard drive, appearing like a normal file and slowly go about their nefarious ways. Most viruses are designed to remain hidden, drawing as little attention to their existence as possible.

Speccy malware