Malware never sleeps on the internet and can hit any Windows computer suddenly, without warning and with ever new methods. Viruses and malware can affect Windows PCs and Mac computers recently, with the explicit intention of making life difficult for web surfers in order to scam them and steal money from them.
The problem with viruses is that most people who have never had to deal with them would never mistakenly think they could be affected.
The bad news is that even a computer savvy user who uses a PC protected with antivirus and other security programs, can fall victim to an online threat caused by malware or a scam site.
In this article we see how to recognize the most common cyber threats, so as not to be found unprepared and immediately obtain a method to counter and eliminate them.
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1) Ransomware
The most dangerous virus without a doubt is ransomware, which can come in different forms but with a similar functioning.
It is a truly ingenious malware that combines a scam attempt with a real virus that renders the affected PC unusable, even blocking personal files.
A full-screen (non-removable) message appears on the computer with a warning about alleged illegal activities from that computer and a fine to be paid for returning the PC.
The virus has several variants with messages from the postal police, the finance guard, the SIAE, the carabinieri or the National Cybercrime Center, it is also capable of blocking the files "taken hostage" by encryption, unlockable only after having paid the ransom.
The encrypted files remain so even if the virus is removed, so the risk of losing personal data is very high.
The virus of the ransomware type (which takes the computer hostage if you do not pay), can be removed by following the guide of things to do when a PC is infected with a virus .
Obviously we must never pay and follow the instructions provided, better to clean the PC and if necessary format it, recovering the lost files through a backup (which must always be activated).
An example of this virus that had deceived many Italian users a few years ago is that of the Postal Police, with a notice on alleged illegal activities originating from that computer and a fine of 100 Euros to be paid to return to possession of the PC.
How do you get these viruses ">
If you think email is always safe, go wrong!
Beyond spam emails (which we can safely ignore or throw in the trash), some viruses disguise themselves as legitimate emails, pass spam filters and arrive in users' inboxes, masking the threat in unread attachments (PDF or Word usually).
Just a simple click on the attached file to start the infection: the PC starts to slow down, advertising windows or not recommended sites can appear and, more worryingly, the worm spreads automatically among all email contacts and PCs on the LAN .
One of the most dangerous threats in this regard was WannaCry, which exploited a weakness of Windows to spread quickly via LAN.
Again we can remove the worm by reading the to-do guide when a PC gets infected with a virus .
How are these viruses caught?
The main vehicle remains infected emails, but if a PC in our LAN has been infected with a Worm, it will spread to all healthy PCs at high speeds, so we could find ourselves infected without doing anything on our PC (just turn it on) and connect it to the network!).
3) Trojan
Even if they have fallen into disuse a little, Trojans still remain one of the most dangerous threats to any PC running Windows.
These viruses are able to cleverly hide inside legitimate programs (they can simulate both the appearance and the icon, often work correctly to not arouse suspicion) and, at the right time, take control of the PC by downloading new viruses, modifying system files, removing and installing new unnecessary programs and spying on every file and action performed by the user.
There are many variants of Trojans: from those that completely disable antivirus and any scan tool to those who take control of the Webcam and spy on us secretly.
Luckily many antiviruses manage to intercept them before they can do damage, in any case the removal is quite simple by reading the guide of the things to do when a PC is infected with a virus .
How do you get these viruses ">
One of the most recent threats to our PCs with Windows are cryptocurrency generators, apparently legitimate programs (many antiviruses do not block them or do not trigger when they detect one) that are placed in memory and begin to exploit our hardware resources (CPU but GPU in particular, especially if our video card is recent and very powerful) to be able to generate cryptocurrency (virtual currency with gradually increasing value, but as money is generated), which will end up straight in the developer's pockets or who created the program.
This threat is inserted secretly in some free programs, so as to generate a constant profit for the developer without even exploiting the app.
It is one thing if we use our PC to generate cryptocurrency, one thing and if some developer decides to take the resources of our PC to generate money for himself (the PC will inevitably slow down, especially with games and heavier programs having regard to the resources employed).
From our tests one of the few free antiviruses that can locate and block cryptocurrency generators is Comodo, which we can download here -> Comodo Antivirus .
How are these viruses caught?
Although they are not real viruses, these annoying components can be present on any free program, but we also find them on sites modified specifically to generate cryptocurrency at each visit of the user.
The only way to avoid them is to have a good antivirus that blocks these cryptocurrency generators even when we surf the Internet or when a free program decides to "finance itself" by exploiting them on unsuspecting PCs.
5) Fake Android apps
Android mobile apps can be downloaded from Google Play or even from other sites.
As already written in the article on the security risks of smartphones, some applications can be full-blown viruses.
In some cases, as happened with Angry Birds: Star Wars, the app with the malware has the same name as a famous and popular app.
6) The porn threat
This type of scam can really scare the less experienced because it leverages people's privacy.
You then receive an email with written, usually in English, that we have been recorded in a video while we saw adult sites and that will be disclosed to all our friends and contacts if we do not pay a certain amount.
Obviously this is a false threat, there is no video and the message is a standard randomly sent to anyone trying to catch the one who feels guilty and is afraid of a possible public humiliation.
To defend against this type of threat, all you need to do is put a sticker on the webcam lens, removing it only when you actually need it.
7) The romantic threat
On sites like Facebook or other social networks where our real name is used, it might happen to be contacted by attractive girls who show themselves, immediately or after a bit of conversation, available for a love date.
Unfortunately, after having said something compromising or after having sent some intimate photos, you will be asked to send money to a certain address otherwise all the chat and the photos will be sent to your wife and family.
This is certainly a dangerous blackmail, from which one can defend oneself only with mistrust towards those who show themselves too beautiful and too available.
Conclusions
As you can see, cyber threats via the web come in different and often unsuspected forms, capable of overcoming even the most powerful antivirus and antimalware products.
In another article, we invite you to read our online security checklist to see if your PC is protected .
