Has Your Computer Been Hacked? Know the Signs

Wondering if your computer or network has been hacked? Are you worried about malware or spyware?

Sometimes, computers have problems that have nothing to do with malicious activity, but hacking does happen and it is a growing problem. Visit the wrong website, open the wrong email or download the wrong app and you can find yourself with a host of problems. Risks run the gamut from someone ruining your computer to someone accessing your personal data, bank accounts and other crucial information.

It takes a computer forensics examination to determine whether you’ve been hacked and how it was done, but there are some signs you can monitor. If you encounter any of these, you might have a problem (from Windows Central and USA TODAY).

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Possible signs that your computer has been hacked

• Friends get spam emails from you that you didn’t send
• You can no longer access online accounts
• Antivirus software shuts down on its own
• Videos buffer more often than usual
• Websites load more slowly than usual
• Programs and apps crash frequently
• Your computer restarts by itself
• New files or software appear out of nowhere
• You are using much more data than usual, and you can’t account for it
• Your social media accounts show things you did not post
• Your mouse cursor moves around on its own
• A big increase in pop-ups and link redirects
• Your computer operates very, very slowly

If you are seeing these signs, you might want to have your device checked by a professional computer forensics examiner.

Learn more about our spyware and malware protection services.

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