Archives - Malware


Turn off your computer if not in use

Powering down your Mac/PC when you’re not using it hits several birds with one stone: It saves electricity, while reducing your exposure to malware infections and preventing unwanted manipulation by anyone with physical access to it.

Types of Malware: What is Rootkit?

A type of malware that opens a permanent “back door” into a computer system. Once installed, a rootkit will allow additional viruses to infect a computer as various hackers find the vulnerable computer exposed and compromise it.

Types of Malware: What is Adware?

A type of software that downloads or displays unwanted ads when a user is online or redirects search requests to certain advertising websites. The term adware is frequently used to describe a form of malware, which presents unwanted advertisements to the user of a computer. The advertisements produced by adware are sometimes in the form […]

Put a second hard drive in your old laptop

If you have a laptop with an optical disc drive that you never use, consider swapping it out for an extra hard drive. Many older PCs and Macs can accommodate this switch, which provides some extra protection in case your main HDD fails or is compromised by malware.

Keep your mobile apps and operating systems updated

Outdated applications and OSes are magnets for malware, since they often have known vulnerabilities that can only be fixed by upgrading. If you see a new version is available, install it right away. Some platforms, such as Apple iOS, even allow you to automatically schedule security updates so you don’t miss a crucial change.

Create a guest Wi-Fi network at home

It’s likely someone has asked for your Wi-Fi password when visiting your home. A more convenient and safer alternative than giving it away is to set up a guest Wi-Fi connection. Guest networks can be left open, plus they isolate their traffic from your main SSID, which can prevent the spread of malware.